Division 341 and its resounding victories in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign

During the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising, Division 341, also known as Song Lam Division, was one of the main units of the 4th Corps, contributing to the great victory of the nation, liberating the South, and reuniting the country.

During these April days, as the whole country joyfully celebrates the 50th anniversary of the complete liberation of the South and the reunification of the country, many officers, soldiers, and veterans of the 341st Division - a unit twice awarded the title of Heroic Unit of the People's Armed Forces - gathered in Quang Binh , the place where half a century ago the 341st Division marched into the battlefield, participating in the General Offensive and Uprising of Spring 1975.

The 341st Division (Military Region 4), also known as the Song Lam Regiment, was established on November 23, 1972, in Nam Dan District, Nghe An Province. Stationed in Quang Binh Province and the Vinh Linh Special Zone, the Division's mission was to defend the southern part of Military Region 4 and served as a strategic reserve force of the Ministry of National Defense .

On February 3, 1975, in My Ha village, My Thuy commune, Le Thuy district (Quang Binh province), the 341st Division held a ceremony to depart for the battle to liberate the South and unify the country.

Over 12,000 officers and soldiers of the Song Lam Regiment, along with weapons, technical equipment, and nearly 1,000 vehicles of various types, marched across the Truong Son mountain range into the battlefield of the Southeastern region, as part of the 4th Army Corps.

The 341st Division was one of the main units tasked with attacking Xuan Loc, which the enemy considered the "steel gate" protecting Saigon. Throughout many days of fierce fighting, the Division coordinated closely with other units, shaking the enemy's strong defenses and making a decisive contribution to accelerating the disintegration of the Saigon puppet army.

The victory of the 341st Division at Xuan Loc is a highlight in the history of the Vietnam People's Army, a testament to the courageous fighting spirit, unwavering will, and absolute loyalty to the Fatherland.

Immediately after the victory at Xuan Loc, the 341st Division was assigned the task of attacking the Trang Bom breakthrough point and advancing along Highway 1 towards Bien Hoa and Saigon.

This battle was part of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, aimed at destroying a significant portion of the enemy's manpower and military equipment in Trang Bom.

According to the recollections of writer Dau Thanh Son, then a soldier of the 341st Division participating in the Trang Bom battle: At 5 PM on April 26th, in the forest where the troops were encamped, the entire company assembled solemnly to listen to Political Commissar Quach Thanh Tien announce the Politburo's decision to launch the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, a general offensive on the city of Saigon-Gia Dinh.

The Battle of Trang Bom by the 341st Division, April 26-27, 1975. ( Photo: Reporter of the 4th Army Corps Newspaper, preserved at the 4th Army Corps Traditional House)

The battle at Trang Bom was a pivotal battle in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign on the southeastern front, involving all four regiments of the 341st Division. The political commissar repeatedly reiterated the Division Command's call: "Every officer, Party member, and Youth Union member in the division must unite to fight and win, dedicating this victory to President Ho Chi Minh's birthday."

Writer Dau Thanh Son recalled: "In that sacred moment, perhaps due to overwhelming emotion, I got goosebumps, and my heart swelled with an indescribable joy. All the brothers in the unit who participated in this battle were excited. This was an extremely arduous task, but very glorious and meaningful."

The division was founded in President Ho Chi Minh's hometown, named "Lam River Division" - after the gentle river of President Ho Chi Minh's homeland, and now it is firing the first shots in a campaign named after him.

Result: At 10:00 AM on April 27th, the 341st Division crushed the enemy's defensive area, taking control of the Trang Bom district occupied by the 18th Infantry Division and the 5th Armored Regiment of the puppet army. The offensive to liberate the Trang Bom military base annihilated a large portion of the 18th Division's forces and important military equipment, as well as enemy forces in the Trang Bom and Bien Hoa areas. The battle took place over a wide area and lasted a short time; it was a tight encirclement, a bold attack that inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, creating favorable conditions and opportunities for the 4th Corps and the mobile forces of the Ministry of National Defense to break through the eastern Saigon defense line, paving the way for a rapid advance into Bien Hoa and Saigon-Gia Dinh. It can be said that this was one of the key battles, contributing to the momentum and strength for our main army to advance into Saigon-Gia Dinh.

The 341st Division assembled to participate in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign. (Archival photo)

On April 28, the 341st Division used the 55th Artillery Regiment to suppress enemy artillery positions. The 7th Infantry Battalion, reinforced with four tanks, coordinated with the 4th Battalion to break through into Ho Nai, but was fiercely resisted by the enemy and had to halt its advance. By the afternoon of April 28, our troops finally reached Ho Nai 1 hamlet. Many fierce battles took place right in the center of the town.

On the morning of April 29, the 341st Division, led by tanks, successively crushed numerous enemy resistance strongholds. Upon reaching the Ho Nai intersection, they encountered a deep trench and were unable to pass. The tanks then circled north to attack Bien Hoa. Meanwhile, the 273rd Regiment annihilated the enemy at Long Lac station and then advanced into Bien Hoa airport, capturing the base of the puppet 3rd Air Force Division. After capturing the armored base of the puppet 18th Division in Yen The, the 270th Regiment, in coordination with the 6th Division, captured the Hoc Ba Thuc artillery base. Following this, the 266th Regiment circled around Ho Nai and attacked Long Binh. On the night of the 29th, the 6th Division shattered the enemy's defensive line at the Ho Nai intersection.

From 7:00 to 9:00 on April 30th, the 6th Division (4th Corps), in coordination with the 3rd Regiment (341st Division), captured the headquarters of the puppet 3rd Corps. At 11:00, they took control of the headquarters of the 3rd Air Force Division and Bien Hoa airport. At 9:00 on April 30th, the 341st Division captured Hoc Ba Thuc, and at 1:00 advanced to liberate Thu Duc.

The Battle of Trang Bom by the 341st Division, April 26-27, 1975. ( Photo: Reporter of the 4th Army Corps Newspaper, preserved at the 4th Army Corps Traditional House)

After successfully completing its mission in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, the 341st Division continued its military administration duties in Saigon. Not long after, the officers and soldiers of the Division marched to fight to defend the southwestern border of the Fatherland; then, together with the revolutionary armed forces and people of Cambodia, they liberated the people from the Pol Pot genocidal regime, fulfilling a noble international mission. The Central Committee of the Cambodian People's Revolutionary Party recognized this, stating: "The Cambodian Fatherland will forever record in its golden book of revolutionary struggle the victories and images of the officers and soldiers of the 341st Division"...

From December 1980, the Division returned to the 4th Military Region, stationed in Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces, to perform combat readiness duties, training, and building up the reserve mobilization force.

With its outstanding achievements and victories, the 341st Division has been twice awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces, the Ho Chi Minh Order, the First Class Military Merit Order, and many other prestigious awards by the Party and State; the Cambodian State awarded it the First Class Apsara Order; thousands of officers and soldiers have been commended and honored; many comrades have become generals, high-ranking officials of the Party and State, scientists, and successful entrepreneurs…

Throughout the training, fighting, and victorious journey of the 341st Division - Song Lam Regiment, thousands of officers and soldiers of the Division fell on the battlefields, their blood enriching the glorious history of the Division. Wounded, sick, and veteran soldiers sacrificed their lives and youth for the resistance. Returning from the flames of war, overcoming countless hardships, they continue to contribute to their homeland. Wherever they are, in whatever circumstances, the veterans of the 341st Division maintain the qualities of "Uncle Ho's soldiers," serving as shining examples for the younger generation to follow.

Half a century has passed since the 341st Division set out to participate in the Spring Offensive and Uprising of 1975. During this time, the division has traversed a path filled with hardship but also great glory. The heroic memories and historical lessons from the victories at Xuan Loc and Trang Bom have been, are, and will continue to be upheld, serving as crucial assets for the overall development of the Army and the defense of the Fatherland, and for the comprehensive strengthening of the 341st Division in particular.

Today, in this era of renewal, generations of officers, soldiers, and veterans of the Division continue to uphold the tradition of "unwavering loyalty, strict discipline, decisive battle, decisive victory," building a comprehensively strong and exemplary Division with high combat effectiveness, regular and elite, and progressively modernized, contributing to the building and protection of the Fatherland, and effectively carrying out the tasks of reserve mobilization training, search and rescue, forest fire prevention, and disaster relief... forever worthy of the trust and love of the Party, the State, and the People.

The 341st Division organized specialized firepower training for mobilized reserve soldiers, preparing them for the mission of defending the Fatherland.

The 341st Division organized specialized firepower training for mobilized reserve soldiers, preparing them for the mission of defending the Fatherland.

Nhandan.vn

Source: https://special.nhandan.vn/Su-doan-341-va-nhung-chien-thang-trong-chien-dich-Ho-Chi-Minh-lich-su/index.html