The Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 was the final strategic decisive battle between our army and people and the invading French colonialists. This was also a fierce confrontation, competition, and battle of wits between the artillery forces of both sides.
In this Campaign, we mobilized 100% of the howitzers, more than 70% of the 75mm artillery and 80% of the 120mm mortars of the entire army. In each specific battle, we concentrated on artillery superiority from 2-4 times that of the enemy artillery. Therefore, the French, considered masters of counter-battery, had to submit to the primitive, small artillery of the Vietnam People's Army.
Our army pulled artillery into the battlefield at the Dien Bien Phu campaign. (Documentary photo)
On March 13, 1954, our artillery opened fire simultaneously, firing heavily at the Him Lam stronghold. The Dien Phu Campaign officially began. Throughout the campaign, the artillery troops' mission was to suppress and destroy enemy artillery, control the airport, harass and destroy enemy command posts and warehouses, and support the infantry attack.
In the opening battle of the second phase of the campaign, three of our artillery companies launched a fierce fire attack on two enemy artillery positions, paralyzing both positions.
Although French artillery had many advantages, due to subjectivity and arrogance, French artillery was completely defeated by the sudden, continuous attacks of Vietnamese artillery.
Colonel Tran Ngoc Long, former Deputy Director of the Institute of Military History, analyzed: " Artillery is the pride of the French Expeditionary Command in Indochina. In terms of quantity, our artillery is larger. We have 261 cannons. Of which, the French army only has 126 cannons.
But it is clear that most of the French artillery was large artillery, occupying solid fortifications on high ground. So they had many advantages. That is why the French artillery commander in Dien Bien Phu, Lieutenant Colonel Pirot, arrogantly declared that he would "silence" the Viet Minh artillery .
Colonel Tran Ngoc Long.
In fact, what happened on the battlefield became a horror for the French. In the opening battle of the campaign, our 240 cannons fired continuously for 1 hour. After 15 minutes of firing, our firepower was almost overwhelming.
Charles Pirot, deputy commander of the Dien Bien Phu stronghold, in charge of artillery, committed suicide right after the opening battle with his last words: " There is no way to silence the Viet Minh's cannons ."
According to Lieutenant Colonel Cong Phuong Khuong, Institute of Military History, throughout the campaign and in each battle, we concentrated artillery to create an advantage in force, supporting the infantry to win, destroying each stronghold from the outside in, and moving towards destroying the entire stronghold.
" In the battle of Doc Lap hill, our artillery was 4.5 times larger than the enemy's artillery. Generally speaking, during the entire campaign, when suppressing enemy artillery, our artillery was about 10 times larger. That shows that our artillery has exerted a strong advantage on the Dien Bien Phu battlefield " - Lieutenant Colonel Cong Khuong Phuong said.
One of the outstanding successes in the art of arranging artillery combat formations in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign was that the battlefields were arranged in a dispersed, wide-spread manner, with a distance between companies of 3 - 5km but focused firepower on the main direction and main target.
The 45th Regiment of 105mm howitzers was deployed to form an arc of more than 30km surrounding the stronghold. The distance from the artillery positions to Muong Thanh Center was from 6 - 8km, well within the effective firing range of our artillery. Along with that, the art of camouflage and deception was also thoroughly used, which was why the French were completely helpless in counter-battery.
Artillery of the Vietnam People's Army rained fire on the Dien Bien Phu stronghold. (Photo: Archive)
Major General Nguyen Hong Phong, Commander of the Artillery Corps, analyzed: " In the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, our artillery was raised high and fired at the French artillery positions. Our artillery was also camouflaged and used clever deception. Fake positions were set up. When our artillery fired, the fake positions were also set off with explosives and created muzzle flashes, making it impossible for the French artillery to find our artillery positions. That is a testament to the bravery and creativity of the Vietnamese artillery troops ."
From the first units with captured enemy artillery, the young artillery force of the Vietnam People's Army entered the long-term resistance war, fighting and maturing at the same time, contributing to the resounding victory of Dien Bien Phu "famous in five continents, shaking the earth".
Inheriting and promoting the experience of the art of using artillery in the decisive strategic battle of Dien Bien Phu, the artillery troops continue to apply and develop the military art of using artillery creatively. In the new situation, the immediate focus is on building a strong, compact, and refined artillery and ground-based missile force.
Major General Nguyen Hong Phong
" Currently, we have built a widespread artillery force in three types of troops, namely the main force, local forces and militia. Artillery and ground missile units are important combat forces in strategic, campaign and tactical operations and are capable of providing effective fire support in all methods of waging war.
"The organization will build a lean, strong, and appropriate missile artillery force for each level, with the basic content being to build a suitable organization, gradually modernize weapons and equipment, and organize good training, " said Major General Nguyen Hong Phong, Commander of the Artillery Corps.
To meet the requirements of the task of protecting the Fatherland in the new situation, for strategic reserve artillery units, there needs to be a roadmap to gradually equip self-propelled artillery and rocket artillery with longer ranges.
For tactical artillery forces, step by step research and improvement of integrated equipment on artillery vehicles to enhance mobility and lethality, research new technological equipment, and gradually automate artillery combat command to meet the urgent and complex combat requirements of modern warfare.
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