April 30, 1954: The Front Command informed the units that the opening day of the third attack was May 1, 1954.

On April 30, 1954, the Front Command informed the units that the opening day of the third attack was May 1, 1954. The tasks of the units in this attack were:

- Division 316: Destroy high point C1 and hold that position; simultaneously attack and encroach on C2 to coordinate with the C1 battle. If conditions are favorable, develop and destroy C2; fully prepare to attack and capture important enemy bunkers in position A1 and occupy those bunkers.

- Division 312: Destroy strongholds 505 and 505A. Use firepower and a small unit to coordinate with Division 316 to block reinforcements while 316 destroys C1. Prepare and destroy position 204.

- Division 308: Continue to prepare and destroy stronghold 311B, while simultaneously attacking position 310.

- Regiment 57, Division 304: Restrain enemy artillery and attack into area C (Hong Cum), if possible, destroy area C, prepare a battalion to move to Upper Laos, and fight when ordered.

- 351st Division: In addition to regular tasks, coordinate with infantry in point battles and counterattacks.

While destroying A1 and encroaching on C2, units must prepare forces and plans to have favorable conditions to develop and destroy C2, and continue to develop and capture the remaining enemy bases east of the Nam Rom River.

On the same day, the units organized political activities, many officers and soldiers wrote letters of determination to their superiors, expressing their determination to complete their combat missions and achieve complete victory for the campaign.

On the battlefield coordination:

Battle of Von Xai (Stung Treng province, Cambodia): In Cambodia,   The 436th Battalion of the 101st Infantry Regiment (325th Division), along with Vietnamese armed forces operating in northeastern Cambodia, coordinated with the Cambodian revolutionary armed forces to attack Vơn Xai. Facing the threat of annihilation, the enemy mobilized a company from the 52nd Mobile Group (GM52) to reinforce Vơn Xai. Taking advantage of the enemy's inability to consolidate their fortifications, the 436th Battalion launched a surprise attack, destroying most of the reinforcing company. Simultaneously, an armored platoon attacked and annihilated the enemy in Vơn Xai, securing the position. Terrified by the combined Vietnamese-Cambodian offensive, the enemy in Bò Khăm, Bò Kẹo, and Lôm Phắt retreated. A vast area in northeastern Cambodia, from Vơn Xai to the northern border of the Central Highlands, was liberated.

General Vo Nguyen Giap assigns combat tasks to units at the Dien Bien Phu Front Command Post (Photo: VNA)

During the Dien Bien Phu campaign, many humane orders were issued, demonstrating the Party's and the Command's concern for the soldiers, and also serving as a rallying cry for the fighting spirit of our troops. " Put on new clothes " was one such " order ." The book " The Victory at Dien Bien Phu (Chronicle) ," published by the People's Army Publishing House, records this special order with historical interpretations: "On March 30th, most soldiers wore new clothes. For the soldiers, the day of battle was a special celebration. Many units had spent months preparing. The soldiers had lived for months in cramped bunkers at the battlefield. Night after night, they had to crawl into enemy positions, enduring storms of steel to create every meter of trench. Today, the hour of battle had arrived! Their health had gradually deteriorated after days of hard and stressful work. They had been eagerly awaiting the end of the preparation period." For the soldiers who participated in the fierce Battle of Dien Bien Phu, each battle was a step towards the brink of life and death, where there was no room for fear or hesitation, only the will to fight and win regardless of hardship and sacrifice. Therefore, when going into battle, the soldiers wore clean, neat uniforms, ready to sacrifice themselves for a glorious victory for the country.

Nhandan.vn

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