Liberating Phu Yen, the Politburo instructed "the final strategic battle has begun"

At noon on April 1, 1975, Tuy Hoa town and the entire Phu Yen province were liberated. The Politburo instructed: “From this moment, the final strategic battle of our army and people has begun”. The 1st Army Corps set off on a rapid march to the south.

General Vo Nguyen Giap and his comrades in the Central Military Commission reviewed the combat plan for the Ho Chi Minh Campaign (Hanoi, April 1975). (Photo: VNA)

In Phu Yen, at 5:00 a.m. on April 1, 1975, our units' attack to liberate Tuy Hoa town began. Our 105mm artillery and 120mm mortars located at Hoa Thang fired heavily, paralyzing the enemy's artillery positions. At the same time, our tanks followed Route 7 to support Battalion 4 of Regiment 2 to capture the targets of Ong Chu Bridge, Da Rang Bridge and Nhan Thap.

At 5:45 a.m., the unit captured Dao hamlet, the airport, and developed along Route 6 and Le Loi Street to capture the Treasury and the civil service area. To the north of Tuy Hoa town, Regiment 64 of Division 320 captured the provincial road (administrative office of the former Saigon government), the Police Department, Regiment 47, Go Da, Chop Mountain, and Chai Mountain. Battalion 96, Company 25 and a part of the 189th mixed artillery battalion attacked the enemy in Sam Mountain, Long Tuong, Lam Hamlet, Quy Hau, Phuoc Khanh, Phuoc Hau, etc.

By 8:00 a.m. on April 1, 1975, our main force and local troops had completely taken control of Tuy Hoa town. Promoting the spirit of rapid attack, the main force together with the local army and people successively liberated most of the districts in the province such as Tuy An, Song Cau, Dong Xuan. At noon on April 1, 1975, Tuy Hoa town and the entire Phu Yen province were liberated.

In Khanh Hoa, at dawn on April 1, 1975, the 10th Division divided into many groups to attack all remaining troop clusters and the 3rd Airborne Brigade Command Post. Hundreds of enemy troops fled towards Tan Lam, Tan Tu, Dong Than (Tay Ninh Hoa) threatened by guerrillas and local people. Some surrendered, some ran across National Highway 1 towards Hon Khoi. We destroyed and captured the remaining forces of the 3rd Airborne Brigade, seized all weapons, artillery, ammunition, destroyed the "blockade" of Phuong Hoang Pass, and opened the door to the coastal plains.

The enemy troops at Lam Son Training Center, the special forces and artillery in Duc My panicked and fled through Van Gia town. Our armed units continued to attack the enemy's western defense line in Ninh Hoa, liberating most of the countryside and Van Gia town in Ninh Hoa.

On the night of April 1, 1975, enemy troops in Da Lat and the entire Tuyen Duc province panicked and retreated to Phan Rang.

In the direction of Chon Thanh-Route 13 (Binh Long, now part of Binh Phuoc), in response to our attack on Chon Thanh sub-region, on the afternoon of April 1, 1975, the enemy sent the 315th Battalion to support but could not hold the base and was forced to retreat. Our 9th Division of the Cuu Long Corps was ordered to pursue the retreating enemy.

At 2 p.m. on April 1, 1975, the Politburo sent a telegram to comrades Pham Hung, Le Duc Tho and Van Tien Dung, emphasizing: The opportunity to launch a general offensive and uprising in Saigon-Gia Dinh is ripe. From this moment on, the final strategic battle of our army and people has begun... We must firmly grasp the strategic opportunity, be determined to carry out a general offensive and uprising, and successfully end the war of liberation in the shortest time possible. It is best to start and end in April this year, without delay... We must act "speedily, boldly, and unexpectedly"...

On the same day, General Vo Nguyen Giap - Politburo member, Minister of National Defense, Commander-in-Chief telegraphed to comrades Pham Hung, Le Duc Tho, Van Tien Dung, and Tran Van Tra to clarify the Politburo's opinions on the assessment, opportunity, and plan to liberate Saigon-Gia Dinh according to the motto "Speed, boldness, surprise, sure victory" so that the battlefield could study and act in time.

In early April 1975, under the order of the Truong Son Command, the 471st Automobile Division organized reconnaissance, determined the springboard and the route to run on Route 14, delivered goods at Bu Na, Dong Xoai; received the task of concentrating the mobilization of the 3rd Corps into the South and transporting 6,100 tons of ammunition for the campaign to liberate Saigon-Gia Dinh.

On April 1, 1975, the 1st Corps Command and the heads of units and agencies met to discuss measures for a rapid march to participate in the campaign to liberate Saigon under the order of the Ministry. During the day, the 312th Division, the military units and the basic command post of the corps set out with the Corps' motor vehicles and more than 1,000 transport vehicles of the General Department of Logistics and the 571st Division of the Truong Son Command.

In the newly liberated city of Da Nang, the 2nd Corps received orders from the Ministry to leave a unit to guard the newly liberated area, while the rest moved south to participate in the campaign to liberate Saigon. However, according to the wishes of the majority of the comrades who wanted to go south to join the fight, the unit commander presented the above request to the Ministry of National Defense.

NDO

Source: https://baohanam.com.vn/chinh-tri/ngay-1-4-1975-giai-phong-phu-yen-bo-chinh-tri-chi-thi-tran-quyet-chien-chien-luoc-cuoi-cung-da-bat-dau-155826.html