April 8, 1975: Our planes bombed the Independence Palace.

Pilot Nguyen Thanh Trung lands an F-5E aircraft at Phuoc Long airport. (Photo: VNA)

On April 8, 1975, at the front, comrade Le Duc Tho, on behalf of the Politburo, announced the decision to establish the Saigon-Gia Dinh Liberation Campaign Command and was the representative of the Politburo beside the campaign command, including: General Van Tien Dung - Commander, comrade Pham Hung - Political Commissar, Deputy Commanders Tran Van Tra, Le Trong Tan, Dinh Duc Thien. Comrade Le Ngoc Hien - Acting Chief of Staff. Comrade Nguyen Van Linh was in charge of the uprising of the masses. Comrade Vo Van Kiet was in charge of directing the takeover after liberation.

Afterwards, the Campaign Command proposed to the Politburo to name the Saigon-Gia Dinh liberation campaign the Ho Chi Minh Campaign and it was accepted. On April 22, 1975, the Politburo appointed Lieutenant General Le Trong Tan as Deputy Commander and Lieutenant General Le Quang Hoa as Deputy Political Commissar and Chief of Political Affairs.

On the same day, April 8, 1975, Group 232 (the main force unit of the Region, corps-level, established in early February 1975), commanded by Major General Nguyen Minh Chau and Colonel Tran Van Phac as Political Commissar, captured the positions of Ben Cau, Moc Bai, An Thanh, Tra Cao, Queo Ba, opening the way to bring the main force down to the plains of Zone 8, forming a strategic encirclement and division, isolating Saigon from the Mekong Delta.

On the morning of April 8, 1975, pilot Nguyen Thanh Trung (an internal revolutionary base in the Saigon Army Air Force) flew an F5E to bomb the Independence Palace, then landed safely at the field airport in the liberated zone of Phuoc Long.

In Ninh Thuan , after the 311th Special Forces Company controlled the intersection leading to the airport, on April 8, 1975, the enemy from the airport came to counterattack. The Company, together with the people of Dua hamlet, Do Vinh hamlet, fought steadfastly all day.

On the same day, the 812th Regiment of Military Region 6, together with Battalion 200C and local forces, attacked and destroyed the Thien Giao military sub-region (Ma Lam), an important position on the northwestern defense line of Phan Rang town.

In the Southwest, following orders from the Regional Command, to coordinate operations with Xuan Loc, despite not having enough time to prepare, on April 8, 1975, Military Region 9 still ordered an attack on Tra Noc airport (Can Tho). Division 4 fought fiercely with the enemy on the Vong Cung road, Regiment 10 (under Division 4) and Battalion 2 Tay Do crossed the Vong Cung road, attacking Tra Noc airport.

At the same time, the Can Tho special forces and the Military Region's artillery attacked Tra Noc and Lo Te airports so that the 4th Division could develop and attack the airport and advance into Can Tho city.

At Long Chau Ha, on April 8, 1975, Regiment 101 was ordered to move to Can Tho, in the formation of Division 4, as a reserve force. Two independent battalions remained to continue destroying the Phu Nhuan commune sub-sector and two posts to liberate the 10km long Mop Van canal.

On the same day, April 8, 1975, the Regional Command organized special forces to participate in the campaign to liberate Saigon-Gia Dinh. Special Forces Group 27 and Saigon Special Forces Brigade 316 were unified, organized into wings in the directions surrounding Saigon, each wing had a general command consisting of mobile main force special forces officers, special forces officers, and officers of the Saigon-Gia Dinh Regional Command.

On the same day, the special forces coordinated with the main army corps to begin attacks to break through the outer defense line. The special forces units attacked enemy bases, posts, and military sub-regions, contributing to the preparation for the campaign to liberate Saigon-Gia Dinh.

On April 8, 1975, the 116th Special Forces Regiment captured the Nuoc Trong Armored Officer School, used firepower to bombard Loi Ho and Yen The commando camps, and Long Binh base. At the same time, the 113th Regiment attacked and destroyed the Binh Y bomb depot, and used DKB and mortars to bombard Bien Hoa airport.

Carrying out the mission of transporting troops and ammunition to the south, on April 8, 1975, the third formation of 100 vehicles of the 11th and 13th Automobile Regiments of the Truong Son Mobile Command, along with the 367th Air Defense Division with fuel, ammunition and all the technical weapons of the 1st Corps, headed straight from Vinh Chap to Dong Xoai.

On the same day, the 471st Automobile Division of the Truong Son Command received orders to quickly organize the mobilization of the 3rd Corps and a Division of the 1st Corps to the South. At the same time, the Division had to urgently transfer 6,100 tons of unplanned artillery ammunition for the campaign (most of which were 130mm and 122mm artillery shells that were scattered in Se Su, Trao (Quang Nam province) and Da Nang Port).

Nhandan.vn

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