Hill A1 - Evidence of legendary battles

During the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, Hill A1 was the place where our soldiers fought the longest, fiercest and most sacrificial battles. During 39 days and nights of heroic and tenacious fighting, the revolutionary army had to fight with the enemy for every inch of land and every meter of trench. Here, more than 2,500 of the nation's best sons and daughters were laid down forever. Their blood soaked every inch of land and blade of grass, merging with the loving motherland, creating a legend...

Hill A1 is a fortified stronghold, part of the system of defensive heights in the East of the central subdivision of the Dien Bien Phu stronghold. In the photo: Hill A1 relic seen from above.

39 legendary days and nights

Hill A1 (called Eliane 2 by the French) is located in the east of the center of the Dien Bien Phu stronghold. This is a high point with an extremely important strategic position. This hill is 49m above ground level, about 80m wide, adjacent to many other important strongholds, such as: C1, C2, A2, A3 and about 500m from the Command Post of General De Castries as the crow flies. Hill A1 is the high point that directly protects the French command post and is considered the "key" of the entire Dien Bien Phu stronghold. Therefore, here, the enemy deployed many troops, strong firepower, and many modern weapons and equipment.

The French army divided the A1 hill stronghold into 3 defensive lines. The outermost line was the main line; the intermediate line had a fire position; the innermost line on the highest hill was the defensive line and command post. Outside the fort there were 5 layers of fences over 100m thick, interspersed with many mines. In addition to the elite forces on the spot, the enemy was ready to provide large-scale support to this stronghold with mobile forces with effective support from tanks and artillery...

French command bunker at hill A1.

On our side, the campaign command determined that to liberate Dien Bien, we must capture the A1 hill stronghold. Regiment 174, Division 316 and Regiment 102, Division 308 were assigned the important responsibility of destroying this important stronghold.

The battle at Hill A1 began on the afternoon of March 30, 1954, with us and the enemy fighting for every inch of land and every trench. The enemy continuously counterattacked, our regiments attacked for many days but only captured a part of Hill A1. The decisive moment for the fate of the A1 stronghold was 20:30 on May 6, 1954 when a 1,000kg explosive was ignited by soldier Nguyen Van Bach and it was also the signal for the final general attack. With the spirit of determination to fight and win, at exactly 4:30 a.m. on May 7, 1954, our army took control of Hill A1, ending the strategic battle at the key defensive height of the Dien Bien Phu stronghold, contributing significantly to the feat that "resounded throughout the five continents and shook the world".

The heroic relics will last forever…

During the battles at Hill A1, many examples of our army's heroic and resilient fighting appeared. That was the 102nd Regiment Commander Hung Sinh, who not only commanded the troops but also directly fought with the soldiers using grenades, rifles, submachine guns and even pistols. Wounded for the seventh time, he still bandaged himself and continued to command, fight the enemy, and protect the battlefield with his soldiers. Or, Political Commissar Le Linh personally carried explosives to lead a transport squad to transport weapons to the center of the stronghold. Especially the heroic, bold, flexible, and self-sacrificing example of comrade Chu Van Mui, Squad Leader of the 127th Signal Company...

To cut off the enemy's supply route to Hill A1, the truncated banyan tree bunker was destroyed by Company 671, Battalion 251, Regiment 174 at 1:30 a.m. on May 7, 1954.

The stele placed at the A1 Hill relic site reads: “The attack on the A1 Hill stronghold was one of the most glorious battles of our army and people in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign… Our officers and soldiers set a high example of fighting and sacrificing, bravely and tenaciously fighting the enemy at every gun emplacement and trench. After 39 days and nights of continuous fighting, we organized 5 attacks and defeated 30 enemy counterattacks.”

According to tour guide Bach Thi Hoan, an officer of the Dien Bien Phu Victory Historical Site: More than 2,500 of our soldiers heroically sacrificed their lives in the battles at A1 Hill. Their blood and bones soaked every inch of land and blade of grass here. To this day, on the A1 base, the remains of many martyrs still rest peacefully on this land, in the heart of the beloved motherland, and are forever a part of the sacred A1, the legend of the immortal epic of heroic Dien Bien Phu.

The gunfire has stopped on A1 hill for exactly 70 years. Today, when visiting the A1 hill relic site, visitors will witness with their own eyes the remaining vestiges of the fierce battle of the past, such as: the explosive crater created from a thousand-pound block of explosives that shook the enemy's will; the command bunker of the stronghold, the heavy machine gun bunker on the top of the hill, the truncated banyan tree bunker - "the human bunker" and the French bunker system that was once considered "inviolable"...

In particular, at the top of A1 hill today, next to the memorial, there is still the remains of the Bazeille tank that the French sent from the center of Muong Thanh to counterattack the Vietnamese army. However, it was shot down by 4 of our soldiers in the early morning of April 1, 1954, causing the French to completely lose the protective fence on the 3rd defense line. A mass grave was built right next to the Bazeille tank. Although anonymous, without names, the souls of the soldiers have been resting forever with the country.

During the historic days of May, people from all over flocked to visit the A1 hill relic to feel the great sacrifice and loss of the previous generation and to be forever proud of the Fatherland.

During the historic days of May, together with a group of tourists from all over the world visiting the A1 Hill relic, we came to the common grave of four unknown martyrs, respectfully lit incense sticks, and wished to remember the contributions of the heroic martyrs who fell to gain independence and freedom for the Fatherland today.

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