"Win the first battle"

The birth of the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army on December 22, 1944, marks a significant historical event in the Vietnamese revolution. This was the first time in history that the Vietnamese revolution had a new type of army that was led, organized, educated, and trained by the Party and President Ho Chi Minh. This army was created by the people, for the people, and fights on behalf of the people. Just a short time after its establishment, the first highlight of the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army was the battle at Phai Khat and Na Ngan forts. This first victory initiated the proud and glorious tradition of "winning the first battle" and "determination to fight and victory" of the heroic Vietnam People's Army.

The first golden page

During our visits to the Tran Hung Dao National Special Relic Site, located in Tam Kim Commune, Nguyen Binh District, Cao Bang Province, we had the opportunity to learn about the significant "first victory" of the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army: the Victory at Phai Khat - Na Ngan. This site, which commemorates the remarkable achievements of the 34 early soldiers, now serves as an important "red address" for educating both today's and tomorrow's generations about their proud traditions.

As implementing the Directive of leader Ho Chi Minh "There must be activities within a month. The first battle must be won", right after the founding ceremony, under the command of comrade Vo Nguyen Giap, the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army discussed thoroughly to clarify the issue: where to attack and how to attack, so that with only a small force we can gain great political and military victories; at the same time, limit our losses in human lives and weapons. After discussing the options, the command decided: Must raid enemy camps to capture ammunition. The targets are Phai Khat and Na Ngan forts.

Phai Khat Fort relic (Tam Kim commune, Nguyen Binh, Cao Bang province), the place marking the first victory of the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army

Under the direction of comrade Vo Nguyen Giap, the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army decided to take down Phai Khat post first, because this was a small post on the mountainside, with 20 militiamen commanded by a French officer, around the post there were a few thatched houses on the stream bank, in the distance were some rice fields so the chance of victory was very high. Next, the new team attacked Na Ngan post - a post close to the main road, with fast information, difficult to ensure secrecy, surprise and enemy mobility, capable of supporting the post promptly. When attacking these two forts and winning, the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army will be very easy to operate. The force attacking the fort consisted of two platoons, under the direct command of comrade Vo Nguyen Giap. In addition, there was also the participation of guerrillas and local Viet Minh cadres on duty guarding the roads leading to the village. To make the infiltration easier, comrade Vo Nguyen Giap prepared fake patrol papers with red stamps to serve the battle.

On the afternoon of December 24, 1944, the forces participating in the battle disguised themselves as militiamen and marched to Phai Khat. After receiving news that Chief Simono was going to Nguyen Binh district, at 5:00 p.m. on December 25, "Team Leader" Thu Son led his troops into the station easily. The team quickly split into two groups: Squad 1 captured the gun emplacement, Squad 2 surrounded the fort. While the enemy had not yet reacted, comrade Thu Son shouted loudly: “Gather!” then 17 soldiers and the captain gathered in the middle of the yard. The enemy was surprised, had no time to react, and quickly surrendered. The battle was quick, and Simon, who returned from Nguyen Binh, was also killed. As a result, we killed 1 enemy and captured 17, seized 17 guns, some ammunition and military equipment.

After defeating the Phai Khat post, the team marched urgently to Cam Ly commune, which is 15 kilometers away from Phai Khat, where the Na Ngan post was located. The team reviewed their experiences, praised the comrades who had accomplished their tasks well, and disseminated the attack plan for the following day. Due to the dangerous terrain surrounding the Na Ngan station, they decided to disguise themselves as a group of militia and red-scarved soldiers escorting three "Man communists" to turn over to the station authorities.

The force that attacked the Na Ngan fort consisted of all the members who participated in the Phai Khat assault. At approximately 7:00 a.m. on December 26, Comrade Thu Son and the assault team led the three "Man communists," who were tied to a post and accompanied by the tricolor flag obtained from the Phai Khat post. The soldiers at Na Ngan thought the group was legitimate and quickly organized six soldiers and the warden to line up and welcome them according to military protocol.

Once the team entered the station, they executed their assigned plan. Four soldiers proceeded to the middle room to guard the gun rack. Comrade Thu Son and Be Van Sat engaged with Duong in conversation to distract him. Squad 2 blocked the gates of the fort and then split into groups to capture prisoners. Squad 3 fired into the air and called on the enemy to surrender. By the end of the battle, they had killed five enemies, captured 17 soldiers, and seized 27 guns along with a significant amount of ammunition.

Features of military art

In the first two battles, the team used the attack tactic of disguised surprise attacks, which excellently opened the history of tactics and military art of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA). Disguise is a fighting style that uses little ammunition, has low casualties but is highly effective. In the first two battles, in addition to destroying and capturing all enemy troops in the fort, the team also captured many weapons and military equipment. The most important thing is that the team wins according to the Directive of leader Ho Chi Minh: "The first battle must be won."

In addition to applying appropriate tactics, the victory of the first two battles demonstrated some unique features of Vietnamese military art. It is about choosing the right target and timing to attack. Our team participating in the attack on the fort had just over 20 members, equipped with primitive weapons and led by untested officers. Given these circumstances, the commanders decided to designate Phai Khat and Na Ngan as suitable positions. Additionally, these two posts were situated far apart from each other and from the enemy's command center located in Nguyen Binh district, which limited their ability to support one another in a timely manner. However, we had the advantage of both time and space to effectively resolve the battle.

Regarding the timing of the attack, we choose the most unexpected moments for the enemy: To attack Phai Khat fort, we chose late afternoon (5:00 p.m.) when the enemy was having or had just finished dinner; to attack Na Ngan fort, we chose early morning (7:00 a.m.) when the enemy had just woken up because these were the two times when the enemy was most vulnerable and off guard... We maintained the element of secrecy from beginning to end, from planning the operation, organizing the march, and deploying forces to practicing destroying the target, making the enemy unable to react in time. In addition, the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army also carefully prepared for the battle in terms of training and close coordination with local self-defense forces. To understand the enemy, the team knew how to take advantage of the eyes and ears of the masses to provide the latest information about the enemy. Therefore, when we practiced attacking the fort, we "acted", making the enemy not suspect anything.

The victories at Phai Khat and Na Ngan were glorious feats of arms, signaling the entire people to advance on the path of armed struggle to prepare for the period of rising up to seize power and regain independence and freedom for the nation. Those two victories opened the tradition of "winning the first battle", "determined to fight and win", "accomplishing every mission", "overcoming every difficulty", "defeating every enemy" of the Vietnam People's Army.

In the early days, the original group of 34 soldiers quickly grew and matured. They effectively carried out their mission of armed propaganda, expanded their political support among the masses, and merged with the National Salvation Army to form the Vietnam Liberation Army. Alongside other smaller armies across the country, they played a crucial role in empowering the people to rise up and successfully revolt during the August Revolution of 1945.

Reported by Dam Thanh - Translated by Ngoc Huynh