LTS: The battle against the Dien Bien Phu stronghold group was the biggest fortified battle of our soldiers in the resistance war against the French. This is also the first time we have coordinated a coordinated attack between infantry and artillery on a large scale. Dien Bien Phu is the highest concentration and effort, the biggest, most fierce, and most comprehensive duel between us and the enemy. This is also a very important match, you have to fight to win, if you are sure you will win then fight, if you are not sure you will win don't fight.
So when attacking the Dien Bien Phu stronghold group, during those 56 days and nights of hardship, blood mixed with mud, how did the battle of wits and brains on the actual battlefield take place between us and the enemy? How did we neutralize the "Dien Bien hedgehog"? The third article in the series of 4 articles "The Battle of Brains" titled "Tightening the Siege" will clarify this content.
At 17:13 p.m. on March 3, 1954, the attack of 55.000 troops, belonging to 5 great regiments of our army, on Dien Bien Phu officially began. Our artillery bombarded the battlefield. We quickly took control of the strongholds of Him Lam, Doc Lap, and Ban Keo, opening the doors to attack the central area of Muong Thanh.
The first attack dealt a fatal blow to the enemy's defense system at Dien Bien Phu. But the difficulties have only just begun. Entering the second phase of the campaign, our soldiers must capture bases with strong defense systems, large forces, solid fortifications, barbed wire fence systems and dense minefields. At high points A2, C1 and C1, the fighting took place extremely fierce, with the two sides fighting each other for each trench and communication trench.
According to Colonel Bui Dinh Tiep, Chairman of the Department of Military History and Art (Academy of Politics), the siege tactic was thoroughly used by our soldiers during the invasion of bases.
“Our soldiers, forces and our directions have been arranged to work together to close the siege, then gradually encroach. That's why we went through "56 days and nights of rain and rice, blood mixed with mud, our liver did not waver, our will did not wear out" because of that. Our soldiers keep encroaching, closely coordinating with each other, closing and tightening the siege," Colonel Bui Dinh Tiep said.
Previously, in 1952, 3 Groups, the 308th, 312th and 316th, attacked the Na San stronghold Group for 2 nights but were unsuccessful. While Dien Bien Phu is considered by the French to be the 10th power of Na San, this poses us many difficulties and challenges in capturing bases, holding bases and resolving each battle decisively. fight.
We must not only attack the enemy who defends in solid, solid fortifications, but also be ready to fight back against enemy tanks that counterattack. Therefore, our soldiers were ordered to attack firmly, advance step by step, peeling off the bases one by one from the outside of the inner circle, causing the noose to increasingly tighten the central division, the French Army Command.
Colonel Nguyen Van Sau, Deputy Director of the Institute of Military History, said that after successfully peeling off the solid defense layer in the North of the stronghold Group, opening the way to the central subdivision, we applied The strategy of digging trenches, encroaching in a spiral shape, encircling and attacking the Group's eastern strongholds, isolating the central sector.
According to Colonel Nguyen Danh Phuong (Political Academy), our army has carried out key breakthroughs in strongholds and base clusters, destroying each enemy battalion one by one, and in turn peeling off magnetic resistance centers. outside and inside, making it impossible for the enemy to provide support or rescue each other. "The siege is to create conditions for a focused breakthrough. A successful breakthrough creates favorable conditions for the siege and tightening of the enemy," Colonel Nguyen Danh Phuong said.
With the strategy of encirclement and encroachment, the units dug a system of fortifications, trenches, and trenches gradually reaching each bunker position of the French army. Our trenches are hundreds of kilometers long, including large, small, and complex trench systems, both offensive and defensive, ensuring combat and living conditions. daily activities of the soldiers. The trenches are also the way for us to transport wounded soldiers. With the encroachment method, we gradually tightened the siege, brought the trenches deep into the enemy base and then suddenly broke through and destroyed the enemy.
Major General Tran Hung Cuong, Head of the Department of Operations (National Defense Academy), said that this method of attack has deepened the crucial weakness of the stronghold Group's defense system. Because in reality, when a base is lost, the enemy's ability to support and recapture it is very difficult.
“Coming to Dien Bien Phu, we promptly learned from experience, organized to monitor the enemy situation and fostered experience in attacking fortifications for our units; deepening the two fatal weaknesses of the "Dien Bien Phu hedgehog" in terms of rigid, passive defense. This weakness allows us to focus our strength on destroying each stronghold of our choosing at the appropriate time; isolated group of strongholds, lying alone in the middle of vast forests and mountains. We have created ways to encircle, invade, attack, destroy, destroy, and destroy to ensure victory," said Major General Tran Hung Cuong.
Faced with the risk of Dien Bien Phu falling, France concentrated its air force and established an air bridge for support. In just the second half of March, France dropped more than 3 tons of bombs on Dien Bien. The Pentagon also stood still and immediately drew up a plan for the Vulture operation, using 1.000 B80 bombers with the escort of 29 fighter jets to crush our main force. But all the efforts and efforts of both France and the US could not save the situation. In fact, since March 150, 27, enemy aircraft were unable to land at Muong Thanh, the only way for France was to drop troops and cargo at Dien Bien Phu.
Colonel Le Thanh Bai (Institute of Military History) said that controlling the air and cutting off the enemy's only source of supply is a dangerous way to attack. By using a system of siege and attack positions, our troops tied up the enemy, making it impossible for the enemy's firepower to be fully effective.
“If we fight firmly and advance firmly, we will build trenches from far to near, from outside to inside. Destroy each target, proceeding to completely destroy the enemy. Proceed to tie up the enemy and attack them. This method of fighting limits France's forte which is artillery and aircraft. Because we fight hand to hand, the enemy's artillery and firepower cannot be effective. We have been flexible in our combat direction, from fast to slow and switched to a general attack to win Dien Bien Phu," Colonel Le Thanh Bai said.
At 20:30 p.m. on May 6, 5, Commander of the 1954th Army Le Quang Ba ordered the detonation of a bomb weighing nearly 316 pounds in the heart of hill A1.000. After 1 minutes of suppressive fire, our soldiers volunteered to destroy A15, remove the key point to enter the headquarters of the Dien Bien Phu stronghold group.
By 22:7 p.m. on May 5, 1975, the Dien Bien Phu Campaign was completely victorious. After 3 months of siege and 56 days and nights of continuous fighting, the Dien Bien Phu stronghold group was flattened, the expectations of the French colonialists and the US imperialist plot to intervene and expand the war were shattered.
Dien Bien Phu, from a group of impregnable strongholds, has now become the prestigious grave of the French expeditionary army. Since then, Dien Bien Phu has become the focus of attention and attention from the international community. Dien Bien Phu created an aftershock with shaking power strong enough to awaken the fighting spirit of the colonial peoples. We will clarify this content in the 4th article in the series "Battle of brains".
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Source: https://vov.vn/chinh-tri/70-nam-chien-thang-dien-bien-phu-siet-chat-vong-vay-post1091179.vov
