On April 19, 1954, our army burned enemy tanks.

The Dien Bien Phu Campaign: On April 19, 1954, despite a malfunctioning recoilless rifle sight, Comrade Tran Dinh Hung calmly loaded the ammunition, aimed at the target through the barrel, and destroyed a tank. His heroic deed completed the trench filling operation, forcing the enemy to retreat.

On April 19, 1954, the Politburo issued a resolution directing the Party Committee of the Front to overcome all difficulties, resolutely defeat the enemy, and mobilize the entire strength of the people, the Party, and the Government to do everything necessary to achieve complete victory in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. The resolution clearly stated: "The entire people, the entire Party, and the Government will certainly provide all possible support to the Dien Bien Phu Campaign and will certainly do everything necessary to achieve complete victory in this campaign."

In compliance with the Politburo 's Resolution, the Party committees and people of the provinces in Military Regions 3, 4, Viet Bac, and Tay Bac... made extraordinary efforts to race against the enemy, against time, against rain and floods, resolutely mobilizing all resources of the rear and people's war to successfully ensure the supply of provisions to the troops.

Enemy tanks counterattacking are shot and set ablaze on Hill A1. (Photo: VNA)

On the front lines, taking advantage of temporary pauses in the offensive, units promptly reorganized and replenished personnel and equipment, and conducted a review of supplementary training experiences. Several new detachments, such as the 122mm rocket unit and several 75mm recoilless rifle companies, were organized right on the front lines. Because the troops had endured a long period of fighting under difficult and deprived conditions, leading to significant health deterioration, the Campaign Command directed units to strive to "normalize daily life," organizing meals, sleep, and recreation for the troops. Hygiene and disease prevention, as well as trench sanitation, were prioritized. Treatment of wounded and sick soldiers on the front lines improved significantly, contributing to the rapid restoration of the units' combat effectiveness.

On the morning of April 19th, three trenches of the 36th Regiment penetrated directly into the enemy's perimeter at outpost 206. The recoilless rifles gradually destroyed the forward gun emplacements. Throughout the night, occasional mortar fire rained down on the position. The enemy was constantly on edge, fearing the battle had begun. Aircraft had to drop supplies directly onto the outpost by parachute. But the soldiers dared not leave their bunkers to retrieve the parachutes for fear of our sniper fire.

Outpost 206 called for reinforcements from Muong Thanh. Losing this position was unacceptable, as it meant losing the airfield. De Castries was forced to deploy two infantry platoons and two tanks, along with a Foreign Legion platoon, from the central area under artillery cover to fill the trenches. Our trench defense platoon was forced to retreat and use sniper rifles to fire at the enemy. Despite a malfunctioning recoil-equipped rifle, Comrade Tran Dinh Hung calmly loaded the ammunition, aimed through the barrel, and destroyed a tank. His victory completed the trench filling operation, forcing the enemy to retreat.

To defend the Dien Bien Phu fortified complex, in 1954 France deployed 10 M24 tanks. These were light tanks manufactured by the United States in 1943 and used in World War II. One of these was a command tank, while the remaining nine were deployed in three platoots. The command tank and two platoons were stationed at the center of the Dien Bien Phu fortified complex, and one platoon was in the southern sector. At the end of the campaign, the Vietnam People's Army destroyed eight tanks and captured two intact ones. Three of these are currently on display at the foot of Hill A1, Dien Bien Phu. (Photo: vnexpress.net)

The soldiers of the 36th Regiment also began to encounter a new difficulty. As the trenches approached the enemy's stronghold, the "scarecrow" became less effective; it could no longer block flanking fire or grenades thrown from within the fort, and it also revealed the soldiers' positions. Several soldiers were wounded. The speed of trench digging slowed down considerably. Some soldiers, who were guerrillas operating behind enemy lines, suggested digging underground tunnels all the way to the enemy's bunker, which would reduce casualties while maintaining secrecy. Initially, the officers were hesitant to use this method because they feared it would prolong preparation time. However, after a trial digging team found it was no slower than digging open trenches, as they could dig even during the day. The tunnel digging method was accepted, although it was arduous, it avoided casualties.

THANH VINH/qdnd.vn

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/chien-dich-dien-bien-phu-ngay-19-4-1954-quan-ta-ban-chay-xe-tang-dich-212046.htm