The feat of Ky Con soldiers on Ha Long Bay

Not only famous for its landscape, geological and cultural values, Ha Long Bay is also associated with many resounding victories in history, including the capture of a French warship by the Ky Con Company 79 years ago.

After the victory at Bi Cho (now Uong Bi) on July 1, 1945, the number of troops in the Dong Trieu War Zone had increased to nearly 400, organized into relatively complete squads and platoons. A squad was established with Le Phu as Squad Leader, named Ky Con (the alias of Doan Tran Nghiep, leader of the Nationalist Party led by Nguyen Thai Hoc), and was approved by the Military Revolutionary Committee of the War Zone. The Women's National Salvation Sisters in Dong Trieu presented the Squad with a bright red flag embroidered with the words "Ky Con".

According to the book "Ky Con Company" published by the People's Army Publishing House in 1991, after the August Revolution of 1945, the platoon developed into the Ky Con National Guard Company, the core force protecting the young revolutionary government in the coastal region of the North at that time. Commander of the Fourth War Zone Nguyen Binh decided to send the Ky Con Company to reinforce the force in Hon Gai. On the afternoon of September 6, 1945, the Ky Con Company marched through the Hai Phong Department of War and then went to the anchorage of boats and canoes to board ships. On the morning of September 7, 1945, the Company landed in Hon Gai and received news that a French warship was anchored in Ha Long Bay. Without time to rest, Company Commander Le Phu ordered 2 squads of Platoon 1 to board the Bach Dang ship. Squad 3 of Platoon 1 boarded the Giao Chi ship to chase and attack the Cray-xac ship. Company Commander Le Phu stood at the top of the rocky outcrop and ordered the Cray-xac ship to stop and surrender.

The enemy ship fled. The Bach Dang ship signaled the Cray-xac ship to stop. Captain Le Phu ordered comrade Bui Sinh and four soldiers to borrow a passenger canoe and rush straight towards the Cray-xac ship, pressing close to the enemy ship's side. Ky Con's soldiers quickly jumped onto the enemy ship. The French sailors standing next to the gun emplacements on the deck surrendered. Our soldiers immediately disarmed the French sailors.

After capturing the ship, comrade Bui Sinh and a squad were assigned to take charge of the ship. Commander Nguyen Binh went to Hon Gai to visit the ship and had the word "Cray-xac" removed and two bronze letters "Ky Con" attached to the bow and stern to honor the achievements of the officers and soldiers of the Ky Con Company who bravely coordinated to capture the French ship in Ha Long Bay.

On September 11, 1945, the French Navy ship Odax arrived at the Hon Gai sea area and saw the ship Crayxac, but it had a red flag with a yellow star on the mast of the cockpit, so it panicked and quickly fled. The combat squad on the ship Ky Con immediately started the engine and chased after it at full speed.

The O-daxis threw all radios and weapons into the sea to prepare to sink the ship. The Ky Con ship caught up and immediately approached the enemy ship. Comrade Bui Sinh and the soldiers quickly jumped onto the enemy ship. The enemy sailors were frightened and raised their hands to surrender. We captured the O-daxis. The tricolor flag was lowered and the red flag with a yellow star was raised. This was the second victory of the Ky Con Company at Ha Long sea after the National Day on September 2, 1945.

After that, Ky Con Company also defeated the Viet Cach army (September 1945) in Hon Gai, attacked Cao Co To Fort in November 1945, and together with other units repelled dozens of attacks by the French army in Hai Phong (November 1946). From here, the Company developed into a Battalion, then Ky Con Regiment (ie Regiment 66, the main regiment of Inter-zone 3). As the main unit of Inter-zone 3, Ky Con troops were mobilized in almost all battlefields in the vast area of the Inter-zone. At the end of the years of resistance against the French, Regiment 66 changed its name to Co To Regiment to commemorate the heroic battle on the islands in the past.

During the two resistance wars against France and the US, the Regiment achieved many outstanding feats. In the spring of 1975, the Regiment was like a steel spearhead, together with the 203rd Tank Brigade, advancing straight into the Independence Palace. In 2000, the Ky Con Company was awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the Party and the State. Many years have passed, but the heroic history of the Ky Con soldiers will forever be the pride of the Quang Ninh armed forces.

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