In coordination with special forces, H12 and DKB sections bombarded the base of the puppet Division 23. Simultaneously, our tank, artillery, and infantry-carrying units entered the town. At 7:15 a.m., campaign artillery clusters and artillery of the divisions bombarded targets in the town: the base of Division 23, Dak Lak sub-region, artillery and armoured areas.
In the northeast direction of the town, from 8:00 a.m., the Regiment 95B attacked and seized the six-way intersection. The enemy resisted fiercely. Battalions 4 and 5 of the Regiment 95 were reinforced with four tanks and continuously attacked and fought the enemy’s counterattacks. By 1:30 p.m., the unit controlled the six-way intersection and then advanced to attack Dak Lak Sub-region. At 3:00 p.m., the Regiment controlled the sub-region and sent a unit back to destroy the remaining commando company at the town airport.
In the northwest direction, at 6:30 a.m., Regiment 148 captured the Chu Ebua high point, then advanced to capture the artillery, armoured area and the rear base of Battalion 1 of the puppet Regiment 45, then advanced along Phan Boi Chau Street, destroyed the enemy at Bo De Pagoda and advanced to the six-way intersection to contact Regiment 95B.
In the southwest, the commandos and a part of Regiment 174 defeated the enemy’s armoured forces, and infantry forces counterattacked and held their ground. At the same time, the majority of Regiment 174 was assigned to a tank company to capture the Chu Due high point, the gasoline depot and the subordinate companies under the puppet Division 23 on the south of Route 429.
In the west, Battalion 4 of Regiment 24, together with tanks and armoured vehicles, along the Route 429, penetrated deep into the headquarters of the puppet Division 23, captured the communications and medical areas, and then organised a defensive position to fight the enemy’s counterattacks, holding the occupied area.
In the south of the town, Battalion 5 of the Special Forces Regiment 198 opened fire and suddenly attacked the Hoa Binh Airport. The enemy troops, relying on their numbers, fought back fiercely. On the morning of March 10, the unit captured several targets and switched to a holding position to wait for the infantry. While Regiment 149 was approaching its target, discovered the enemy used aircraft and artillery to intercept it, but the regiment still resolutely manoeuvred and attacked.
Battalion 7 captured the officers’ quarters and the church then attacked the five-way intersection and the headquarters of the puppet 23 Division, but was counter-attacked by the enemy and had to halt.
Battalion 8 captured the logistics area, veterinary station, and treasury, advanced to occupy part of the prison area, together with Regiment 95B captured the Dak Lak sub-region and then halted to consolidate their positions.
Battalion 9 destroyed the chief town of Hoa Binh District and then advanced to the airport with Regiment 198 to launch an attack on the enemy’s main stronghold, but was unsuccessful, and they had to stop and consolidate their positions.
In the direction of Duc Lap, on the morning of March 10, Division 10 adjusted its force deployment, strengthened its command, launched a second attack, destroyed the chieftown of Duc Lap District, and controlled the targets of Dak Min, Dak Sak, and Dak Song. The Campaign Command immediately mobilised a part of the forces and vehicles of the Infantry Division 10 to quickly move to the east of Buon Ma Thuot Town.
In the direction of Division 3 of Military Region 5, aiming to control Route 19, on the morning of March 10, the Division used 3 infantry battalions to continue to attack and recapture Vuon Xoai (Mango Orchard) Hamlet, Bridge 16, Height 105 and Hau Tram (Rear Station). Through three attacks, the Division’s units controlled a strategic road section in the east of An Khe Pass and implemented a dangerous strategic division between the Central Highlands and the plains of Region 5.
On the same day, coinciding with the gunfire at the Buon Ma Thuot front, Regiment 271 captured Nhan Co and Nhan Hai hamlets and approached Nhan Co Airport (now in Gia Nghia District, the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong). On the same day, we liberated the Fasol outpost area, comprising 18 villages with 6,000 people.
In the Nam-Ngai direction, Division 2 and Brigade 52 attacked and destroyed the positions of Suoi Da, Height 211, Tien Phuoc Military Sub-region, and forced the withdrawal from the chief town of Phuoc Lam. In Quang Da, Regiment 96 of the provincial troops coordinated with local forces to destroy and force the withdrawal from 11 outposts, and liberated three communes in Tay Thang Binh and several communes in Dien Ban and Hoa Vang. In Quang Ngai, Regiment 94 destroyed the enemy outpost cluster in the northwest of Binh Son District, cutting off a section of Road No. 1 in the north of Chau O. Battalion 6 under Brigade 52, Battalion 403 under the Military Region Commando 5 and the provincial armed forces attacked and made the enemy troops run and retreat, liberating the rural areas of the two districts Binh Son and Son Tinh.
At the Tri Thien front, in the afternoon of March 10, supported by the artillery group of Division 325, the Infantry Regiment 2 controlled the Heights 224 and 273, eliminated from combat two battalions, Regiment 1 and 54 Divisions of the puppet 1 infantry. On the same day, Division 324 of the Army Corps 2 used a secret reconnaissance unit to infiltrate, attack and destroy a tank cluster of enemy troops at Nghe Mountain, threatening them in the west of Hue and the plains in the south of Hue.
