The ship without a number in the memory of hero Ho Dac Thanh: 3 times supporting the homeland

Every time he commanded a ship carrying weapons to support the Southern battlefield, passing through the Central region, Captain Ho Dac Thanh (from Phu Yen ) felt heavy-hearted. Many times he pointed to the mainland and told his comrades, sometimes he said to himself: "The direction of the setting sun, that is my homeland." He wished to receive an order to carry weapons to support his fellow countrymen in fighting the enemy, to visit his homeland after more than 10 years of separation.

At the end of 1964, the need for weapons in the Zone 5 battlefield was very urgent. The provincial Party Committees of coastal provinces in Zone 5 sent people to bring letters to the Central Government to request weapons support. According to the Central Government's directive, ship 41 was assigned to carry 63 tons of weapons to Vung Ro port (Phu Yen) to support the Zone 5 battlefield, and at the same time open a new branch of the Ho Chi Minh trail at sea.

“When I was assigned the task of opening the road to Vung Ro wharf and providing weapons to the battlefield of Zone 5, I was very happy. My long-time dream had finally come true. When I returned, my brothers and I rushed to prepare, researched nautical charts, wharfs, etc., to make the trip perfect,” said hero Ho Dac Thanh.

People's Armed Forces Hero Ho Dac Thanh shares memories of 3 ships arriving at Vung Ro port

On November 18, 1964, ship 41 carrying 63 tons of cargo left Bai Chay port ( Quang Ninh ). The Northeast monsoon blew in, the sea was rough with high waves as if it wanted to swallow the ship. Hero Ho Dac Thanh recounted that at about 12 o'clock on November 28, 1964, when it was 120 nautical miles from shore, the ship started heading towards Vung Ro. But to enter Vung Ro, ship 41 had to pass through 3 enemy navy patrol routes. When it was 20 nautical miles from shore, ship 41 did not receive a signal light from Mui Dien, suspecting that the ship had entered the wrong port, making the crew worried.

Captain Thanh decided to continue the ship to the port in the planned direction. When it was 1 nautical mile from shore, the political commissar on ship 41 sent a signal but after 10 minutes there was still no response from our people at the port.

Remembering the comrades who sacrificed to protect the port

“After sending out the coordinated light signal, our ship did not receive a response. Once again, the suspicion of entering the wrong port flooded my mind. I slowed down ship 41, the camouflage nets on the machine gun mounts were removed, and the crew got ready to fight. But at that moment, an island gradually appeared on the left side of the ship. It was Hon Nua. I knew that Vung Ro gate was ahead,” Mr. Thanh recalled.

Ship 41 drifted in the middle of Vung Ro, a sampan was launched carrying two soldiers carrying weapons to the shore to contact the wharf. Time passed slowly until there was a signal light to recognize each other. At about 23:50 on November 28, 1964, ship 41 entered Vung Ro wharf. At the moment of meeting, everyone was choked with tears. According to orders, ship 41 could only stay at Vung Ro wharf until 3 o'clock before leaving.

Vung Ro Wharf - where shipments from unnumbered ships are received

“When I said that ship 41 was only allowed to stay at Vung Ro wharf from 0:00 to 3:00 a.m., Mr. Sau Rau (Phu Yen Provincial Party Secretary, Vung Ro Wharf Chief) looked worried. Mr. Sau said that he only asked the Central Government for 6-7 tons of weapons, but now with 63 tons of weapons, there was not enough force to unload the cargo,” hero Ho Dac Thanh recalled.

To find a solution, a party cell meeting was convened that night. Two options were proposed: one was to let ship 41 leave the territorial waters and wait until the next evening to enter, and the other was to stay at a well-disguised wharf to load cargo the following evening. Captain Thanh decided to let ship 41 stay at a well-disguised wharf. This was a bold decision. If the enemy discovered it, not only would ship 41 have to be destroyed, but the secret route that had been kept for so long would be exposed, making it difficult for the Southern revolution. But if they left the territorial waters and re-entered, passing through three patrol gates would not be an easy task.

Burn incense and offer flowers to commemorate the heroic martyrs who sacrificed to protect Vung Ro wharf.

Captain Ho Dac Thanh let ship 41 dock at Bai Chua mountain. By 4am, the ship was camouflaged and waited for nightfall, the laborers unloaded the cargo at full speed.

“Everyone was working at full speed. Seeing a soldier loading goods in the basement, drenched in sweat, I brought him a cup of water. He accepted the cup of water and hesitantly told me that for the past few days, the unit had to eat figs to hold out because an enemy battalion had been ambushing all day on Highway 1, so the rice supplies could not reach them and the soldiers had no food. I choked up when I heard that. I promised myself that when I returned to the North, if there was a second trip to Vung Ro wharf, I would bring rice back for the people,” Mr. Thanh said.

On the night of December 25, 1964, ship 41 docked at Vung Ro for the second time, carrying 3 tons of rice. That night, everyone was happy because they had a delicious meal. At 11:50 p.m. on February 1, 1965, ship 41 docked at Vung Ro for the third time at the moment of New Year's Eve to welcome the new year of At Ty.

In November 1966, ship 41 departed from Binh Dong port (Hai Phong) with the destination being Bai Ngang - Duc Pho (Quang Ngai). At 11 p.m. on November 27, 1966, the ship arrived at Bai Ngang port. At 4 a.m. on November 28, 1966, after dropping 2/3 of the cargo into the sea, ship 41 was hit by waves, its propeller bent and unable to maneuver. To ensure the secrecy of the cargo drop location and to avoid the ship falling into enemy hands, Captain Thanh detonated explosives, destroying ship 41. On the 11th trip, two soldiers Duong Van Loc and Tran Nho remained forever in Bai Ngang - Duc Pho.

Despite his old age, hero Ho Dac Thanh still actively propagates and arouses the tradition of patriotism for the younger generation.

Two months later, the new ship, codenamed 41, continued its mission of transporting weapons to the South. Mr. Thanh was promoted by his superiors to be the Deputy Commander of Battalion 1, Group 125 HQ.

Due to the needs of the battlefield, in 1969, Mr. Thanh was assigned as Captain of Ship 54. On November 31, 1969, Ship 54 left Ha Long (Quang Ninh) with the destination being Vam Lung (Ca Mau). Captain Ho Dac Thanh's 12th trip went around Southeast Asian countries, but when the ship entered Vam Lung port, it was discovered by the enemy. To avoid war and ensure a secret route, Captain Thanh sent the ship to Hainan Island (China).

On February 3, 1970, ship 54 returned to Hai Phong port. The journey of the unnumbered ship at sea of ​​People's Armed Forces Hero Ho Dac Thanh ended.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tau-khong-so-trong-ky-uc-anh-hung-ho-dac-thanh-3-lan-chi-vien-que-huong-185241220164820101.htm