An unforgettable battle for a tank driver

PANO – Comrade Vu Duy Thanh (born in Nam Dinh province) completed the course for tank drivers in 1969 and was posted to Company 7, Regiment 203 of the Armoured Arm. He was so happy to be assigned to a T54 tank, which he then drove in numerous battles in the Campaign of Road 9 and Southern Laos. However, the battle he remembers the most is when his company was sent to Regiment 64 as an attachment force to fight Airborne Brigade 3 of the Saigon army.

On February 25^th 1971, his company gathered in the foothills of an “unknown mountain” near Cha Phi T-junction along Road 16 to Height 534. This is an important height as from there one could control the north of Road 9. In order to destroy Brigade 3 of the enemy, it was a must to capture this height.

Comrade Vu Duy Thanh (L) talking to the reporter

While waiting, Thanh’s company was informed that the enemy had conducted air attacks against Regiment 64 and Tank Company 7 was to deploy force. Immediately after receiving the order, Vu Duy Thanh jumped into the driving cabin and at 13:00 the same day, the tank company led the attack formation raiding Height 534. Frightened by the tanks’ sudden attack, the enemy troops had to shrink the combat formation and call for reinforcements.

Snatching the opportunity, the tank company charged forwards and shelled the enemy to enable infantry troops of Regiment 64 to approach closer to the front. At around 17:00, the enemy forces were rounded in the dry stream in Alanhay village. At night, the tank company together with Battalion 9 of Regiment 64 continued their attack and significantly wore down the enemy’s troops. The next day, February 26^th, the fierce combat continued and by 17:00 of the same day, the liberation force basically controlled the height. Vu Duy Thanh was then tasked to move up with his tank to raze to the ground the enemy’s defence line of Tunnel 5, and open fire to suppress the other 3 tunnels.

With overwhelming strength, by the night of February 26^th, the liberation force was able to take control of the height and captured the chief of staff and 15 other commanders of the enemy’s brigade. Commander of the brigade, Colonel Nguyen Van Tho, also surrendered later.

While pursuing the retreating enemy, Thanh’s tank was hit by a napalm bomb which was dropped as part of a rescue attempt of the brigade commander. Before jumping out of the driving cabin, Vu Duy Thanh was able to send a series of anti-aircraft shots to the sky, just in time to bring down one enemy aircraft. Before fainting away, Thanh could still hear the happy shout of his comrades, “Our tank brought down the enemy’s aircraft!”