50 years of unification - March 28, 1975: Our troops launched an attack on Da Nang

General Chu Huy Man, Commander of Military Region 5 (4th, wearing glasses) commanded the attacks on Da Nang city. (Photo: VNA file)

On the morning of March 28, 1975, artillery positions of the 2nd Corps at Mui Trau Pass began firing at Da Nang airport, Nuoc Man airport and Son Tra peninsula.

Artillery of Military Region 5 fired at Hon Bang, Tra Kieu, Vinh Dien... Our infantry and tanks from three directions North, Southwest and South strongly attacked the enemy on the road, rapidly advancing towards Da Nang.

In the memoir “General Headquarters in the Spring of Victory,” General Vo Nguyen Giap recalled: “On the morning of March 28, 1975, I summoned Comrade Doan Tue, the Artillery Commander, who was then a delegate of the General Staff, to inspect the deployment of firepower. I asked: Where has our artillery arrived? Comrade Tue reported: Only one battalion of Military Region V fired at Da Nang airport. Only two companies of the 2nd Corps’ artillery had reached Mui Trau Pass. The deployment of campaign artillery was slow. I ordered the immediate deployment of artillery at Mui Trau Pass to suppress Da Nang airport, and continued to move the 2nd Corps’ artillery up to Hai Van Pass to fire at Son Tra. Immediately dispatched the entire artillery force at the front to participate in the attack. As a result, by 5 p.m. that day, all artillery units of the 2nd Corps and Military Region V, after organizing their positions, began firing at Da Nang.”

As a result, the front's long-range artillery fired heavily at the Da Nang military port and airport, destroying many enemy aircraft and warehouses. Da Nang airport was paralyzed. The enemy's communications center was destroyed, and communications were cut off.

In the North, the 18th Regiment captured Lang Co station and defeated enemy counterattacks.

In the Northwest direction, on the evening of March 28, the 9th Regiment of the 504th Division and a tank battalion were moving by motorized vehicles to prepare to attack the enemy at Da Den when they heard that they had withdrawn. The Regiment immediately switched to advancing to attack the enemy and successively captured Phuoc Tuong, Hoa Khanh, and the Command Headquarters of the puppet 3rd Division. After that, the Regiment sent a unit to hold a number of important targets in the city, while the remaining unit and the tank battalion attacked the Son Tra peninsula in coordination with the 18th Regiment.

In the South and Southeast, from 9:00 to 10:00 on March 28, the 38th Regiment of the 2nd Division and the 96th Regiment of the local army occupied the areas of Ba Ren, Duy Xuyen district, Nam Phuoc town, and Highway 14. The enemy used planes to bomb and destroy Ba Ren and Cau Lau bridges to stop us. The local Party Committee and people mobilized vehicles to transport troops across the river to attack the enemy.

On Route 20, Division 7 continued to develop the battle, dividing into two groups to attack Bao Loc town. Facing our army's attack, the enemy troops here, some abandoned their guns and surrendered, some fled to Di Linh. Bao Loc town was completely liberated.

On the same day, General Weyen, Chief of Staff of the US Army, arrived in Saigon to outline a defense plan for the puppet army. The US decided to establish an air bridge to transport weapons from Thailand and the US to Saigon, and sent the aircraft carrier Hencoc and 300 US Marines to the East Sea.

According to VNA/Vietnam+

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/50-nam-thong-nhat-ngay-2831975-bo-doi-ta-mo-tran-cong-kich-vao-da-nang-post316519.html