The art of choosing targets in the historic battle at the 'steel door' of Xuan Loc

Xuan Loc, only 80 kilometers from Saigon, was the most important target that the Regional Command chose to attack and destroy the enemy in the battle to liberate Saigon.

This was the most important defensive area of ​​the Army of the Republic of Vietnam to protect Saigon from the East, one of the key points of the Xuan Loc - Bien Hoa - Ba Ria - Vung Tau defensive line; the outer belt protecting Bien Hoa and Saigon airports. It was also the strong rear base of the Phan Rang defensive line.

The art of choosing goals

Choosing Xuan Loc to attack would shake the entire battlefield, have a strong impact on shaking the entire outer defense line of Saigon, making the Phan Rang - Long Khanh defense line dangerous, creating panic among the Saigon puppet army. Further, it would make America anxious, helpless, and the world surprised and astonished.

We chose Xuan Loc as a strong and solid target, but it was the right and bold choice. In actual combat, although the force suffered losses, the victory at Xuan Loc was still a testament to the art of choosing campaign targets.

On April 9, 1975, infantry and tank units advanced rapidly to liberate Xuan Loc and by April 21, Xuan Loc was liberated, opening the gateway to Saigon from the Northeast. (Photo: VNA)

As the most important link in the remote defense line of the Republic of Vietnam, Xuan Loc was considered an "impregnable defense line".

According to War Memories by Major General Tran Ngoc Tho, former Chief of Staff of Military Region 7, in April 1975, in the outer defensive arc of Saigon from the northwest to the southeast (from Tay Ninh to Vung Tau), the enemy deployed 3 of the best combat divisions. Such as Division 25 in Trang Lon (Tay Ninh); Division 5 in Lai Khe - Ben Cat (Binh Duong); Division 18 in Xuan Loc (Long Khanh).

Among the 5 enemy divisions protecting the outer perimeter of Saigon (F5, F7, F18, F22 and F25), the 18th Division in Xuan Loc had full numbers of troops, was invested in and built in all aspects, received maximum firepower support and reinforcement of the last strategic reserve units of the ARVN.

Not only that, at Xuan Loc, the enemy used all available capabilities to resist our attack. President Nguyen Van Thieu mobilized all his troops to block our army, hoping to wait for the rainy season to come to counterattack or find a solution to save the situation.

If we compare the balance of power, our forces attacking Xuan Loc did not have an advantage over theirs. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam in Xuan Loc had about 9 regiments, with maximum air force and artillery support, and a tank and armored force many times greater than ours.

People in the newly liberated area follow a map of the war in the final days of the war. (Photo: Tran Mai Huong/VNA)

As for our army, the main force was the 4th Corps, with only 2 divisions having enough troops, while the 6th Division, Military Region 7 was lacking. It was not until near the end of the campaign that the 95B Regiment of the Regional Command was reinforced.

We attacked Xuan Loc to carry out the motto: "Lightning speed, boldness, surprise, sure victory". Boldness and surprise in the following points: When the enemy's Phan Rang defense line had been formed, the entire Phan Rang to Saigon route was occupied by strong enemy units, and Xuan Loc was located deep behind the Phan Rang defense line, our army would be at a disadvantage when deploying heavy weapons and technology.

Meanwhile, our mobile troops had not arrived in time, so we were forced to use local forces to attack a strong defensive area like Xuan Loc, which was truly bold and unexpected.

In fact, the attack on Xuan Loc was carried out on a large scale by the main force Corps on the spot, but the campaign's significance was great, decisive in creating a favorable position for the strategic goal of ending the war.

“During the entire 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising, Xuan Loc was a series of fierce battles, and also one of the most glorious challenges of the 4th Corps,” commented Major General Nguyen Ngoc Doanh - Former Political Commissar of Regiment 141 - Division 7 - 4th Corps.

Attack Xuan Loc, pull the enemy away from Saigon

At 5:30 a.m. on April 9, 1975, we fired the first shot. On the very first day, the American press reported on the conversation between Pentagon officers, with the following comments: “This attack could be one of the decisive battles of 1975”, “The Battle of Xuan Loc could also be the first test to see if the ARVN could stand firm?”,…

Our troops continued to hold their positions. During the next two days (April 10-11, 1975), we repeatedly attacked the enemy base but were blocked.

Map of the battle of Xuan Loc.

After 3 days of fighting, the enemy stubbornly resisted fiercely. Although we captured a number of targets, destroyed a part of the enemy's forces, and held a number of important footholds, the 4th Corps suffered thousands of casualties.

Faced with fierce enemy resistance, we could not capture the bases. On April 12, 1975, the 4th Corps Command ordered a temporary halt to the attack.

On April 13, 1975, Senior Lieutenant General Tran Van Tra, Deputy Commander of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, crossed the Dong Nai River, went to the 4th Corps Command Headquarters to study the battle's developments, and decided to reorganize the forces and change the fighting style.

On April 14, 1975, we reinforced Division 6 (Military Region 7), Regiment 95B (Division 325 - Corps 2) to support Corps 4.

Our troops used tanks to lead the way to break through the defense area of ​​Bac Xuan Loc. The battle was fierce both inside and outside the town. The entire enemy parachute brigade of 3,000 soldiers was pinned down in a rubber plantation near Xuan Loc.

By the evening of April 15, 1975, the 6th Division and the 95B Regiment had completely destroyed an enemy regiment of 3,000 soldiers, capturing more than 100 of them. The enemy was routed, leaving behind eight 105 and 155mm cannons.

On April 16, 1975, we controlled Route 1, Dau Giay junction from Xuan Loc to Bau Ca and Route 2 was cut off. The enemy's reinforcements had to turn back to Trang Bom because we blocked them at Dau Giay and Route 20. The enemy's situation in Xuan Loc was dire at this time, the soldiers' morale was low and they were confused.

Liberation Army captured the headquarters of the 18th Division of the Republic of Vietnam during the Xuan Loc Campaign. (Photo: Archive)

On April 18, 1975, General Le Minh Dao proposed to withdraw from Xuan Loc. On the same day, the enemy had to transfer F5 aircraft from Bien Hoa to Tan Son Nhat, A37 to Tra Noc - Can Tho...

On the evening of April 20, 1975, the remaining enemy forces in Xuan Loc fled in the pouring rain. The 4th Corps Command ordered all units to pursue and destroy the enemy, capturing Colonel Pham Xuan Phuc, the governor of Long Khanh province.

On the morning of April 21, 1975, we attacked the remaining enemy bases in Xuan Loc. Xuan Loc town and Long Khanh province were completely liberated.

At 7:00 p.m. on April 21, 1975, President of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Van Thieu announced his resignation. He was replaced by Tran Van Huong.

Nine days later, the Ho Chi Minh campaign was victorious, and the entire South was completely liberated.

Major General Tran Ngoc Tho was Deputy Chief of Staff of the 88th Regiment, advancing towards Saigon from Cho Gao through Long An to Binh Chanh district, attacking the General Police Department and the Navy Command of the Republic of Vietnam. (Photo: Ha Linh)

The victory of Xuan Loc - the steel gate of the ARVN in the East of Saigon really shook the entire remaining defense system of the enemy, creating a new battle situation, facilitating the gathering of the East - Southeast wing forces into the final decisive battle to liberate Saigon: the Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

Without the Xuan Loc Campaign, the enemy would have clustered close to the belt and the inner city, and the battle would have been fierce. Bien Hoa and Saigon would have been hard to avoid being destroyed, and the Ho Chi Minh Campaign troops from the east would have encountered difficulties and caused complex impacts and developments to the entire campaign.

Therefore, it must be affirmed that the Xuan Loc battle contributed to the victory and integrity of Bien Hoa - Saigon - Gia Dinh.

Thanks to the victory of Xuan Loc, the battle created a position for the Ho Chi Minh Campaign to take place quickly, seizing the opportunity to attack strategic targets, attack and rise up, destroy and disintegrate the enemy, liberate Saigon, completely liberate the South, ending the 30-year-long war of national liberation.

The value of the Xuan Loc victory is not only in the Southeast region but also in the final stage of the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising, culminating in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

The liberation of Xuan Loc was considered as the eastern door of Saigon opened to welcome the forces of the 2nd Corps, 4th Corps and 3rd Division into the final battle.

Major General Tran Ngoc Tho assessed: "The battle of Xuan Loc contributed to the decisive victory of the Ho Chi Minh campaign. If we did not hold Xuan Loc, the 18 infantry regiments and other enemy arms concentrated here would have crossed Bien Hoa and moved back to Saigon, the war would have been very fierce. Saigon and Bien Hoa would have been in ruins, not peaceful."

"The victory at Xuan Loc shook the entire enemy defense system around Saigon, causing the enemy's morale to collapse even further. The news of victory excited the people of the whole country." (Excerpt from the memoir "General Headquarters in the Spring of Complete Victory" by General Vo Nguyen Giap)

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