Ho Chuoi Fort

Ho Chuoi Fort

Build a brave and courageous fighting spirit, not afraid of sacrifice, determined to fight to the end to protect your homeland and country. This is the core, most important factor that determines the victory in the Battle of Banana Pit of the Insurgent Army. In particular, in the context of the early years of the Yen The uprising, the Insurgent Army with rudimentary weapons and equipment had to confront the French Expeditionary Force - a professional army equipped with weapons, equipment and supplies. modern means of warfare, so building political and spiritual factors and determination to fight for the Insurgent Army is of decisive significance. Realizing that, De Tham and the leaders of the Insurgent Army educated and fostered a spirit of patriotism and hatred for the enemy in the Insurgents. Accordingly, on the basis of a just war, De Tham taught about the suffering of people losing their country; clearly shows that the cause of suffering is due to the brutality of the invading French empire. Through practice, he showed everyone clearly the hypocritical and hypocritical face of the enemy army; that it was the French army who shot and killed civilians and burned down houses and fields. If you want to save the country and the family, you must rise up to fight the French and his Insurgents swear to kill the enemy to protect the people. That's why the Yen The uprising in general, and the Ho Chuoi battle in particular, the insurgents demonstrated a spirit of courage and strong determination that the enemy did not expect. That was when the enemy fiercely bombarded the station, but the insurgents did not flinch, waiting for the enemy to get very close before opening fire to destroy them, causing the enemy to panic and flee. Even in the third attack (December 22, 1890), the enemy urged European and African troops to use bayonets to attack our fortifications, but the insurgents remained calm, took control of the battle, and rose up to destroy the enemy. leaving them helpless, suffering heavy losses, forcing them to retreat. Not only did De Tham regularly foster patriotism and determination, but when dangerous situations occurred, De Tham also proactively and calmly encouraged the insurgents to fight. Typically, in the battle on January 9, 1891, when Ho Chuoi post was burned by enemy fire, De Tham used the loudspeaker to encourage: "Soldiers in the loyal army, in the indomitable army, in the The army will win. I am very pleased with you! Try to resist. Reinforcements are coming. You are invincible"1. That spiritual medicine promptly encouraged and encouraged the insurgents in the station to calmly, enthusiastically, and resolutely defend, while the forces in the forts, despite the hours-long shelling, still maintained their positions. fight; When the opportunity came (when the enemy infantry was approaching), we all rushed out of the fortifications and fought fiercely, destroying most of the enemy's forces and maintaining the battlefield. Later, researchers all believed that, at Ho Chuoi, the French army faced an opponent with surprisingly high fighting determination.2. Create a dangerous, continuous, solid posture, ensuring smooth defense and attack. Through many battles with the French army, the Insurgents have mastered the rules of operation, combat tactics, and the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. That is, fear of close combat, especially difficulty in maneuvering in difficult terrain; rely on artillery fire and when there are casualties, morale easily declines, etc. Firmly grasping that fatal weakness, the Insurgents Supreme Command advocates creating a solid defensive posture in the Yen The mountainous area. Accordingly, in a low-lying area of ​​the Huu Thuong forest filled with wild bananas, the Insurgents built Ho Chuoi station as a semi-floating, semi-submerged fortification (to limit the enemy's firepower and artillery) as their headquarters. To support the main post, the Insurgents also set up two defensive fortresses (North and South) about 100m away from Ho Chuoi, creating a flexible position to protect and support each other. In addition, De Tham also sent people to set up a system of defense posts around Ho Chuoi, such as: Hom post, Skull Cave, Nua village, Vang village,... a logistics base in Vong Dong with a system of fighting villages (Duong Sat, The Loc, Luoc Ha, Cao Thuong) with many dangerous obstacles. Thanks to a solid posture, the Insurgents were able to detect and attack the enemy from near and far, consuming and destroying many enemy forces before they reached their main target. In particular, at Ho Chuoi, with its unique and dangerous position, the forest became an obstacle to the enemy's firepower and limited vision; If you get close to the base of the fort, you will be shot back from dangerous battlements, etc. The uniqueness of this posture is also shown by the system of submerged trenches (without banks) connecting points together and connecting to Go stream in the rear, creating a flexible maneuver position, while being able to attack the enemy. From the front, you can attack the flanks and rear of their formation. This explains why the enemy gathered large, elite troops, with many modern weapons, attacked from many directions, for many days, but all four attacks were unsuccessful. SOURCE: National Defense Magazine

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Rating : Special national monument

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