The air defense force participating in the campaign included Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment 367, several battalions, and 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun companies. This marked the first deployment of an air defense regiment and the use of new weapons with significant destructive capabilities.
During the 56 days and nights of combat in the Dien Bien Phu battlefield, the force successfully shot down and destroyed 62 enemy aircraft of different kinds, while causing damage to hundreds of others and eliminating or capturing French pilots. Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment alone shot down 52 aircraft and damaged 117 others.
Secret and surprise strategy
The unexpected presence of anti-aircraft guns in the campaign disrupted all of the enemy's calculations and made their pilots to shift from complacency to confusion and fear, forcing them to deal with numerous emerging techno-tactical challenges that were difficult to be addressed in a short period of time. To ensure absolute secrecy and safety, air defense units combined well-chosen and fortified positions with new tactics; mobility and ambushes with holding ground. There were times when we had to modify the terrains and manually pull the artillery up into the mountains, to plain fields or approach and attack the enemy’s fortification. We not only fought at night, but also pro-actively attacked the enemy during the day; conducted operations both on rugged mountainous areas and open terrain, facilitating artillery, infantry, and other forces to engage in combat, seize the airport, tighten the siege, restrict the enemy's airspace, and cut off their aerial supply routes. We disrupted the enemy logistics supplies for Dien Bien Phu through aerial routes and made them be completely isolated.
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The combat crew of Company 828, Battalion 394, Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment 367 in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign (A filed photo) |
Concentrating forces on main direction, providing effective support
During the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, despite the shortage of air defense troops the Campaign Command utilized the available forces, arranged formations, and promptly transformed the disposition according to the evolvement of combined arms in each stage of the campaign; applied firepower allocation methods and entrusted each battalion to engage each enemy aircraft formation. Based on each operational situation, the command would decide to concentrate or disperse the firepower to create dense and effective air defense fire to cover combined arms units.
In the first phase, the air defense force concentrated their efforts on protecting the combined arms teams in their attack to break the outer defensive line in the North, Northeast, and Northwest of Muong Thanh. After the successful opening battle, the force shifted its mission to providing support for Divisions 312 and 308 to attack Doc Lap stronghold cluster and encircle and force Ban Keo stronghold cluster to surrender. In the second phase, the force focused on backing the combined arms teams to attack and occupy strongholds and push back the enemy’s counterattacks on the West-northwestern hills of Muong Thanh and suppress the enemy's supplies by air. During phase 3, air defense units approached the enemy's defensive positions to support the combined arms during their offensives to repel the enemy’s counter-attacks, tighten control of the airspace, and sever the enemy's air supplies routes.
Protecting transportation lines, flexibly and creatively applying tactical approaches
Since Dien Bien Phu was situated far from the rear and bases, and transportation infrastructure was poor, the “on-the-spot” logistics capacity was limited. In the second phase, the enemy concentrated the air force on conducting intense and continuous attacks to destroy our transportation routes and prevent our supplies for the front-line. In this circumstance, the Campaign Command promptly sent the 37mm Anti-aircraft Guns Battalion to reinforce the efforts of protecting the transportation of supplies from the rear to the front lines, contributing to ensuring the continuous and smooth transportation of supplies for the campaign.
During the operations, air defense units thoroughly studied missions, the characteristics of the enemy, the terrains, and practical combat experience to create new creative combat methods. They flexibly applied various tactical approaches to effectively engage the enemy; sought measures to cover infantry units and conduct attacks in the air; and were prepared to fight the enemy’s ground force to support and reinforce the infantry.
To protect transportation routes on mountain passes, air defense units deployed anti-aircraft guns on the heights of mountains to observe targets that needed protecting. Additionally, the units established fortified positions and conducted ambushes on both sides of the mountain passes, shooting down numerous enemy aircraft and safeguarding important sections of transportation routes.
To ultimately cut off the enemy’s air supplies, right at the beginning of the campaign, the air defense troops were deployed in multiple directions and encircled Dien Bien Phu airspace. Simultaneously, the Campaign Command deployed 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun companies of Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment 367 and air defense battalions from infantry divisions to the Muong Thanh valley to approach the enemy’s strongholds to prevent enemy aircraft to fly at higher altitudes and conduct night flights which made the airdrops of supplies inaccurate, thus creating favorable conditions for our forces to capture enemy airdrops and successfully launch the offensive.
Maintaining continuous combat power
To effectively carry out combat missions throughout the campaign, the air defense force regularly reinforced and maintained continuous combat power through such measures as making the most of mountainous terrains to conceal sites and command posts; constructing a system of fortifications and trenches to limit casualties from enemy air and artillery firepower; overcoming all difficulties and quickly maneuvering alongside the infantry to approach the enemy, thereby limiting casualties; maintaining pro-activeness and mobility to launch surprise attacks.
In addition to that, the air defense force enhanced training of recruits right on the battlefield to ensure timely reinforcements. In the midst of intense and urgent combat conditions, units well conducted Party and political work, motivating troops to overcome all difficulties and hardships and be determined to achieve victory.
The art of using air defense in campaigns in the resistance war against the French colonialists, notably in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, has contributed to enriching the Vietnamese military art and laying the foundation for its development during the resistance war against U.S. imperialists for national liberation. The lessons and experience regarding the art of conducting air defense operations in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign still hold significant value.
By Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Hien, member of the Party Central Committee, Commander of the Air Defense - Air Force Service
Translated by Tran Hoai