50 years of national reunification - April 22, 1975: Approval of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign combat plan

Khe Sanh soldiers camouflaged their vehicles before advancing into Saigon. (Photo: Quang Thanh/VNA)

On the morning of April 22, 1975, after the Politburo met and listened to the Central Military Commission report on the situation at the front as well as our current combat plan, comrade Le Duan sent a telegram to the front commanders (Van Tien Dung, Le Duc Tho, Pham Hung and Le Trong Tan) instructing: … “Last night, under pressure from the US and its generals, Nguyen Van Thieu had to resign. To slow down our attack on Saigon, the US-puppet government established a new government, proposed to us a ceasefire, and reached a political solution, in order to save their complete defeat. All of the above situations are causing great chaos in the puppet army and government...

The opportunity to launch a general military and political offensive on Saigon is ripe. We need to seize every day to promptly launch the attack. Action at this time is the surest guarantee for complete victory... You should immediately issue orders for timely action directions, and at the same time instruct the Saigon-Gia Dinh Regional Party Committee to be ready to launch a mass uprising in combination with military attacks... Grasping the great opportunity, we will definitely win complete victory."

Receiving the telegram from comrade Le Duan, the Party Committee and the Ho Chi Minh Campaign Command held a final meeting to review and approve the Ho Chi Minh Campaign's combat plan, deciding to attack and liberate Saigon from 5 directions: Northwest, North-Northeast, East-Southeast, West and Southwest.

Comrades Hoang Cam and Hoang The Thien, Commander and Political Commissar of the 4th Corps, went to the forward command post of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign Command to report the situation and approve the resolution with comrades Deputy Campaign Commander Le Trong Tan and Deputy Political Commissar of the campaign Le Quang Hoa.

Meanwhile, at the Eastern Wing Command, the Eastern Wing Command received the mission to participate in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign as communicated by the Campaign Command's envoy. That very night, the Party Committee and the 2nd Corps Command met to study and thoroughly grasp the mission and develop the Corps' operational plan in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

On April 14, 1975, the Politburo decided to name the Saigon-Gia Dinh Liberation Campaign the Ho Chi Minh Campaign with the motto "Speed, boldness, surprise, sure victory." In photo: General Vo Nguyen Giap and comrades in the Central Military Commission review the operational plan of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign (April 1975). (Source: VNA)

On the same day, the Central Military Commission also urgently sent a telegram to comrade Van Tien Dung, Commander of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, stating: "The enemy has no determination to defend Saigon when being attacked strongly... They are delaying to find a way to propose a ceasefire, extending the time to the rainy season. If Saigon cannot be held, they will retreat to the Mekong Delta, using Can Tho as the center... The Southwest and Route 4 are ready to block and destroy the enemy in the situation where they retreat from Saigon to Can Tho."

At Dong De, the Truong Son Road Command convened an emergency meeting of the leaders of the subordinate units. Comrade Dong Sy Nguyen, Commander of the Truong Son Troops, announced the preparation plan for the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, the general tasks of the Truong Son Troops and assigned specific tasks to each unit.

In Ham Tan town, Binh Tuy province (now Binh Thuan province), the enemy, after retreating by ship and boat to the sea, thought our forces were advancing to the South, so they returned to occupy the town.

On April 22, 1975, Regiment 66, Division 304, Corps 2 was reinforced by the 5th Armored Battalion, a 105 Artillery Battalion, an anti-aircraft artillery company and Company 9, Regiment 128, Division 325, together with local forces, attacked and liberated Ham Tan town, destroying and disintegrating nearly 5,000 enemies clustered in the town.

Meanwhile, the 812th Regiment and its associated forces quickly captured the Lang Gon area. The 88th Local Company used 60mm mortars to bombard the ammunition depot in Dong Den. The enemy troops in La Gi town were completely defeated and fled to Tan Ly estuary.

Also starting from April 22, 1975, the 148th Regiment of the 3rd Corps, with the support of anti-aircraft artillery from the 232nd Regiment and local armed forces, continued to cut off traffic and fought a number of battalion-level battles./.

Source:

- VNA;

- People's Army Newspaper 1995;

- "General Vo Nguyen Giap: General Headquarters in the Spring of Victory," National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2000;

- "Party Documents: Complete Works," volume 36, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2004;

- "Campaigns that had decisive significance for victory in the Great Spring Victory of 1975," People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2010;

- "Historical events and figures," People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2015;

- "Historical Decision," People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2015;

- "Ministry of National Defense - Vietnam Military History Institute: Vietnam Military History," volume 11, National Political Publishing House Truth, Hanoi, 2019.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/50-nam-thong-nhat-dat-nuoc-ngay-2241975-phe-duyet-ke-hoach-tac-chien-chien-dich-ho-chi-minh-post1034183.vnp