Towards the 60th Anniversary of Ham Rong Victory: Hill C4

Nearly half a century has passed, but Hill C4 still bears the heroic mark of a time of war and is a red address for educating revolutionary traditions for the next generation.

Students visit the C4 Hill battlefield. Photo: Tuan Khoa

C4 Hill Peak in Ham Rong Ward (Thanh Hoa City) is a relic associated with the feat of shooting down 117 American planes, protecting Ham Rong Bridge in the rain of bombs and bullets. Known by many different names such as: Heroic C4 Hill, Three Pine Tree Hill... from 1965 to 1973 of the last century, on C4 Hill, fierce battles took place between soldiers of Company 4 of Regiment 228 to destroy the American imperialist planes that bombed Ham Rong Bridge. C4 was the high point where the enemy bombed most fiercely and was also the place that witnessed the stubborn clashes as well as the sacrifices of our army and people.

The anti-aircraft artillery position on Hill C4 was formed on May 31, 1965 with the main force being Company 4 of Regiment 228, Air Defense - Air Force. This was the main force during the period of fighting against the first destructive war of the US empire at the "Ham Rong fire coordinates". On an area of ​​about 120,000m2, the troops arranged the artillery position including a command bunker in the central area. The command bunker consisted of 3 comrades: deputy company commander, deputy political commissar and equipment. At the observation radar station, the Company Commander and Chief Political Commissar commanded, when the enemy aircraft was in range, they would give orders to the command bunker. When receiving the attack signal from the radar station, the deputy company commander would order the B1 artillery platoon and the B2 artillery platoon to receive orders to raise the flag so that the batteries could aim straight at the enemy and fire. Next was a club bunker and two ammunition bunkers.

At Battery 4 in the battle on July 28, 1965, after being hit by an enemy rocket, battery commander Nguyen Van Dien was seriously injured with 11 bullet wounds on his body. He used the command flag to cover his stomach and continued to command the entire battery in combat.

In the battle with the US Air Force on September 3, 1967, the entire 4th Battery with 11 soldiers heroically sacrificed their lives. Right next to the location where the 4th Battery fought in the past, there are still large bomb craters, traces of enemy bombs and bullets dropped on this hill.

With the spirit of “Rather fall on the artillery plate than let the bridge fall”, in 9 years of fighting, the army and people of Ham Rong steadfastly held their ground, protected the target, and Company 4 fought more than 400 battles, contributing to shooting down 117 modern fighter planes, including 2 B52s and 1 drone. In 1975, the C4 Hill artillery site was recognized and ranked as a national historical relic.

Present at Hill C4, we saw groups of teachers and students coming to directly experience meaningful historical activities. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, a teacher at Quang Thang Primary School, shared: Through this activity, students can participate in real-life experiences, immerse themselves in each battle, and better understand Hill C4 - a relic associated with the glorious feats of our army and people in the war to protect the historic Ham Rong Bridge. This place still bears the heroic mark of a time of war, thereby helping students better understand the historical traditions of their homeland.

Every year, the C4 Hill battlefield welcomes thousands of visitors to visit and revisit the old battlefield to reminisce about the glorious past.

Tuan Khoa

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/huong-toi-ky-niem-60-nam-ham-rong-chien-thang-doi-c4-dau-an-hao-hung-cua-mot-thoi-hoa-lua-243982.htm