LANG FORTRES

Lang fortress relic is located at No. 8, Phao Dai Lang Street, in the area of Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration, Lang Thuong Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi City.

Lang fortress is a valuable relic in Hanoi capital’s system of revolutionary historical relics. At 20:03 on 19 December 1946, Lang fortress commanded by platoon leader Nguyen Ung Gia was honored to fire the first shot to open the war of resistance.

Lang fortress was built by French colonist in 1941, in Lang Trung plain, Yen Lang Commune, Hoan Long District, Hanoi. The fortress consisted of four 75mm anti-aircraft cannons and one command post. At this battlefield, the French colonialists used to fail to shoot at American planes in Hanoi. Lang fortress belonged to the Japanese when the Japanese fascists seized power from the French colonial administration in March 1945. When Japan formally surrendered to the Allies and the August Revolution succeeded, the Japanese troops destroyed large cannons and dismantled important parts to prevent Chiang Kai-Shek’s army from dispossessing of weapons. Our military division searched, collected and gathered parts from 20 anti-aircraft cannons to form seven complete cannons.

Since the Franco-Vietnam Agreement on 06 March 1946, the French colonialists break their promises, they made a lot of aggression in many places and increased their numbers dramatically with elite forces with modern weapons including 62 armored vehicles, 14 planes, 42 cannons, 5,000 rifles/carbines, 600 light machine pistols, 180 heavy machine pistols; at the same time, they arranged the bases to block the gates to the city to surround Hanoi and control our tactical positions. They plotted to use powerful engines in the City to attack and divide Hanoi, surround and annihilate our army in each area. In particular, on the last days of 1946, the French colonialists intensified provocation. In Hanoi, there were continuous fires, robbery, arrests of civilians, shot at Self-defense forces, etc.

Under this situation, according to Directive of the Party Central Committee, on 29 June 1946, at the barrack of the Central National Defense Force (Vệ quốc đoàn Trung ương) (now at No. 40 Hang Bai Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi), the Chief of the General Staff Hoang Van Thai announced the Minister of National Defense’s Decision to establish the first Artillery corp of the Vietnamese People’s Army, including 4 Platoons at 3 fortresses: 2 cannons at Lang fortress, 1 one at Xuan Canh fortress and 2 ones at Xuan Tao fortress. In November 1946, comrade Vuong Thua Vu assigned the task to comrade Pham Van Don, the Artillery centurion, to command directly Lang fortress.

During preparation for the battle, the unit urgently built fortifications and found ammunition. Our combat plan was mainly to shoot individually at each area but not to coordinate with infantry yet. The main bombardment position was Hanoi citadel (Headquarters of the French General Staff) and signaled information for other fortresses. Lang fortress’s duty was concentrating on bombarding areas crowded with French soldiers such as: Bach Mai Airport, Shell Oil warehouse in Kham Thien, etc.

Lang fortress had very favorable terrain, from this battlefield, our cannons could bombard and threaten the enemy from all sides: North, South, East of the Hanoi citadel. On the other hand, the battlefield had advantages as: more modern guns, near the Front Command.

On 16 December 1946, Commander-in-Chief Vo Nguyen Giap - the Minister of National Defense and Commander of the Hanoi Front Vuong Thua Vu, politician Tran Do went to Lang fortress to visit cannon squads and encourage the soldiers to make good preparation and willing to fight.

On four continuous days 19-23 December 1946, the French colonialists blatantly provoked, caused fight and slaughtered our people. On the evening of 18 December 1946, they sent an ultimatum to our Government to ask to dispossess of weapons from the National Defense Force, Self-defense forces, security publics and demand to control the city. Facing that situation, on the afternoon of 19 December 1946, the Front Command quickly convened the Conference with aim at disseminating the situation and assigning tasks to fighting forces in Hanoi. At 20:00 in the evening of the same day, under the Command’s order, the workers at Hanoi Power Plant exploded the generators, all lights in the city went out, it was the signal to open the Nationwide resistance war. Lang fortress opened fires, fired the first shots to the enemy’s bases in the city to make the order for the Nationwide resistance war.

At 20:03, comrade Pham Van Don directly commanded Lang fortress to shoot continuously 3 times of bullets, Xuan Canh and Xuan Tao battlefields fired into the Hanoi citadel in series, then fired the active areas of the enemy; in particular, Tho Khoi fortress was assigned to shoot at Gia Lam airport. That night, we fired about 500 shots. Because of the surprise, the French army were very confused, until the next day (on 20 December), they became to shoot Lang fortress but failed. On 20 December, Lang battlefield changed to many important positions such as: Hanoi citadel, the house of French Governor – General of Indochina, Shell Oil warehouse, Coil casting factory, Beer factory, etc. Next day, the French army used Moran plane to reconnaisse whole the city to find out locating of Lang fortress for bombing. By direct sight, the soldiers in the fortress won a glorious victory by shooting down an enemy combat aircraft on 21 December 1946. This was the first time we shot the French plane in Hanoi’s sky. On 22 December 1946, comrade Vo Nguyen Giap sent a letter to commend the soldiers at the fortress.

On the next days, Lang fortress not only continued to fight but also reinforced the battlefield, constructed 2 fake fortresses that were about 1 to 2 km from the battlefield to deceive the enemy, thus, prevented to some extend damages defensed by the French army.

Lang fortress expressly fought until the end of January 1947. During the fight, Lang fortress was also counterattacked and some soldiers sacrificed. By the beginning of February 1947, the fortress was ordered to fire all bullets and dismantled the cannons. Some heavy parts that could not be moved were destroyed on site.

Lang fortress was built on a high and flat ground with area of about 1,000 m2 between Lang Trung village and Lang Thuong village. Lang battlefield was initially built with the task of protecting Hanoi against the Japanese fascist’s aircrafts, so it was fairly fortified, four 75mm anti-aircraft cannons were fastened to four concrete fortress platforms. The fortresses were built in 4 corners of the battlefield that was directed.

From a fortified fighting structure, Lang fortress was completely destroyed when its military role ended. The only remaining vestige is the barrel of the 75mm cannon with length of 3m (2m long body, 0,8m long platform) located between the high-rise buildings of Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration. At the end of the twentieth century, the city expanded the road running through it, so it was named Lang Fortress Street (Phao Dai Lang).

Lang fortress is currently located in the precinct surrounded by iron bars, there are many shade trees around; the grass and flower area are built into beautiful small cells. The cannon is located on a high platform surrounded by tailstock base. In the relic’s precinct, there is a traditional room displaying documents, artifacts and photos related to the National resistance war, such as: 3-hook bomb; five bullets of 75mm anti-aircraft cannon; scimitars are the weapons of the Self-defense forces and soldiers at the fortress used in the National resistance war to protect the Capital.

Lang fortress battlefield - which fired the first shot to open the war of resistance on 19 December 1946 - was the order to signal to whole Vietnamese to enter a new historical stage, it was the fight against the French colonialists taking place on the whole country. The Hanoians and Hanoi soldiers were honored with the first shot of the National resistance war, they defended properly in the first two months of fighting in the heart of Hanoi. Lang fortress battlefield embellished the glorious history of the heroic Artillery Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces and extended the list of revolutionary historical relics of Hanoi capital.

After 60 days and nights, Lang fortress along with Hanoi soldiers and people successfully completed the duty “Confined enemy troops in Hanoi, consumed enemy’s energy, preserved forces, created conditions for our people to prepare for long-term resistance…”.

The relic is a clear proof to the will of “Determined to Brave Death for the Survival of the Fatherland” of the soldiers and people of Hanoi Capital in the first days of the National resistance war, this educates the tradition for the younger generations about bravery, resilience and pride of Vietnamese generations in the struggle to protect the Fatherland.

The relic was recognized as a National Historic Site in 1993.