Concentrated fire melee
In accordance with Chairman Mao Zedong's instruction on "transferring antiaircraft artillery units into Vietnam for rotational warfare", China's aid to antiaircraft artillery units entered Vietnam in nine batches from August 1, 1965. By April 1969, the antiaircraft artillery units had been stationed in Vietnam on a rotational basis, with 16 detachments, 63 brigades, 50 antiaircraft artillery battalions, and some antiaircraft companies and service detachments, totaling more than 150,000 personnel. Most of the antiaircraft artillery units aiding Vietnam to resist the United States are the antiaircraft artillery units under the artillery of the Central Military Commission, the antiaircraft artillery units of various military regions, and the antiaircraft artillery units of the Air Force (hereinafter collectively referred to as the Chinese antiaircraft artillery units).
China's antiaircraft artillery units are mainly responsible for air defense operations on the Bac Ninh-Lang Son section of the Hanoi-Friendship Pass railway line, the An Bai to Lao Cai section of the Hanoi-Lao Cai railway line, the newly built Kefu-Nguyen railway line, and the Taiyuan Iron and Steel Base, and to cover the construction of China's engineering troops aiding Vietnam.
The bombing of North Vietnam by US planes has many tactical changes. They have carried out wanton and indiscriminate bombardment of ground targets; electronic jamming artillery targeting radars and "Mozu" anti-radar missiles have been used against air defense units; and steel ball bombs and air wave bombs with high lethality have been used against personnel. In view of the tactical changes of the US planes, the new weapons with high lethality, and the characteristics of wanton and indiscriminate bombing, the antiaircraft artillery units have adopted the tactics of combining key fortification with mobile operations and the method of fighting in close combat with concentrated fire, striving for the initiative from passivity, annihilating the US planes, and defending the safety of the targets.
Victory in the first battle
On August 9, 1965, two U.S. F-4C reconnaissance planes attacked the 61st Artillery Detachment of the Army stationed here in the Ampe area, giving the U.S. troops a head-on blow. After a fierce battle, one enemy plane was shot down and two pilots were killed. On 10 August, the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam, the Air Defense Force Command, the North Vietnam Military Region, and the Yen Bai Provincial Military Region sent congratulatory telegrams one after another, as well as the Domestic Headquarters and the Artillery Command. The congratulatory telegram from the artillery of the Central Military Commission pointed out: "You have fired the first shot of fighting abroad, and I hope to guard against arrogance and rashness, continue to work hard, conscientiously sum up lessons and lessons, and make sure that you can fight a battle, go further, continuously improve your combat effectiveness, and strive for greater victories." On September 8, President Ho Chi Minh, representative of the General Political Bureau of the Vietnam People's Army, awarded the 61st detachment a pennant for "Unity to Defeat American Robbers".
Concentrated fire melee
Anti-aircraft artillery units concentrate fire in close combat, similar to army soldiers fighting bayonets on the battlefield. The so-called "concentrating fire" is one of the most effective tactics for antiaircraft artillery units to gain the initiative, annihilate US planes, protect the safety of targets, and preserve themselves in anti-air raid operations. The advantages of this method of warfare are: Several or a dozen antiaircraft artillery companies fire at an enemy plane at the same time, the density of firepower is large, the distance of the guns is short, the projectile running time is short, the lethal power is large, the room for maneuver of the enemy plane is small, and the hit rate is high; moreover, it is convenient to transfer firepower one by one to achieve the goal of effectively destroying the enemy. On November 16, 1965, the 23rd Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment of the Air Force, in the battle to defend the railway bridge of Song Hoa in Vietnam, dared to gather fire in close combat, and achieved the results of shooting down 4 enemy planes and damaging 3. He was awarded by the Central Military Commission and received the high honor of "Decisive Battle and Decisive Victory Mobile Red Flag" issued by President Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam.
Improve tactics
The weapons of China's antiaircraft artillery units are relatively backward and their effectiveness is low, and only by giving full play to the power of their weapons, constantly improving their tactics, and attacking the enemy's weaknesses with their own strengths can they win victory in battle.
In their air raids on northern Vietnam, the US planes have become larger and more frequent, not only during the day but also incessantly bombing at night; in addition to ordinary artillery shells, they have also used "Mozu" anti-radar missiles, rockets, and submunitions, and so on, and the fighting has intensified. China's antiaircraft artillery units have fought many big and vicious battles and have withstood severe tests. Each batch of troops achieved great results. Despite the heavy bombing carried out by US planes, the lines of communication in the defense area of the Chinese antiaircraft artillery units have always been unimpeded.
Through the bloody lessons learned in actual combat, China's antiaircraft artillery units have gradually summed up a set of effective methods for dealing with the US military. On 6 July 1967, US planes dropped 16 boxes of bombs totaling more than 5,000 small bomblets over the defense areas and positions of the 6th Regiment of the 2nd Antiaircraft Artillery Division in Kefu and Buxia.
During the three-year, nine-month antiaircraft operation to aid Vietnam and resist US aggression, China's antiaircraft artillery units fought a total of 2,153 battles, and in coordinated operations with antiaircraft machine gun battalions and companies of various engineering, railway, and coastal defense units, they shot down 1,707 US planes, damaged 1,608 planes, and captured 42 US pilots, dealing a heavy blow to the US aggressors and defending the territory of northern Vietnam.
In their spare time, the soldiers aiding Vietnam used the remnants of the downed US plane to make various souvenirs such as commemorative medals, daily necessities, and landscape paintings, in order to commemorate this arduous war history.
During the period of aiding Vietnam to resist the United States, all the commanders and fighters of the Chinese logistics unit fought bravely without fear of a strong enemy, achieved brilliant results, and also paid great sacrifices, with more than 5,000 commanders and fighters honorably wounded, and 1,430 outstanding Chinese sons and daughters who died heroically and rested in peace on the soil of Vietnam forever. Among them, the contributions made by the commanders and fighters of the Chinese antiaircraft artillery units are enormous. For the sake of the safety of the motherland and for the support of the Vietnamese people in the War to Resist US Aggression and Salvation, they defended peace with their blood and lives.
As agreed between the Chinese and Vietnamese governments, the Chinese artillery units were returned to China one after another by the end of April 1969.
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Consultants: Zhang Suolong, Luo Xudong
Chief Planner Zhang Rengan
Written by the special activity group for the 55th anniversary of the aid to Vietnam to resist the United States
Commentary: Bai Baocun, Jia Tingxin, Wang Xihua
The opening inscription Miao Jianrong
Video production Zhang Rengan
Theme song "Song of the War of Aid to Vietnam and Resist the United States"
Lyrics and songs: Rao Zelian arranged
Singing: The 7th Regiment of the 2nd Iron Division aided Vietnam to resist the United States
Battlefield Heroes
Lyrics and music by Zhang Rengan
Singing Zeng Fanling
Music production Zhang Rengan
Video production Zhang Rengan
Goddess of the Battlefield
Lyrics and music by Zhang Rengan
Singing Shen Li
Accompaniment: Cheng Jun
Video production Zhang Rengan
"Battlefield Dreams"
Lyrics and music by Zhang Rengan
Singing Zeng Fanling
Accompaniment production Ren Gang
Video production Zhang Rengan
Edit: Sunflower
Link to the United States: Aid to Vietnam and Resist the United States (Episode 5) Gathering Fire Melee Combat