(VOvworld) – The governmental web portal has organized an online exchange to mark the 40th anniversary of the Hanoi – Dien Bien Phu in the air victory. The exchange, themed “the Vietnamese army active and creative in fighting B52 bombers”, had the participation of soldiers who shot down B52 bombers 40 years ago.
The online exchange to mark the 40th anniversary of the Hanoi – Dien Bien Phu in the air victory (photo: VGP/Phan Hoang)
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Lieutenant General Nguyen Xuan Mau, former Deputy Head of the Political Command of Vietnam’s Air Force, said Vietnam was proactive in fighting B52 warplanes in Hanoi in 1972. Predicting that the US would use B52 warplanes to strike Hanoi, in 1965 the Air Force compiled a tactical manual for fighting B52s. In November, 1972, the final version was approved by the General Staff, adopted by General Vo Nguyen Giap, and distributed to the soldiers. On December 18, 1972, the Vietnamese army shot down the first B52 warplane.
The Vietnamese Air Force was active in their tactics and upgrading of weapons including the SAM 2 rocket, which was considered incapable of shooting down a B52. Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Phiet was head of an air defense battalion in Hanoi." We encountered 5 sources of interference including from the EB 66 fighters, the F fighters, the B52 warplanes, the focal distance, and static objects. The first challenge was to identify the interference caused by the B52 warplanes. It’s a fighting tactic."
Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Phiet (VGP/ Phan Hoang) |
In the online exchange, historical witnesses said the Dien Bien Phu in the air victory 40 years ago was a legendary victory attributed to the party’s proper leadership, specifically President Ho Chi Minh, and support of people in the north and international friends including the Russian.