The 33 brothers of the 5th Infantry Division who were captured were held in the southwest corner of the village, next to the camp of the 2nd Company of the Viet G Guard.

Although it is unlikely that the Vietnamese will treat prisoners as preferentially as advertised, they will not deliberately mistreat prisoners of war. The so-called water dungeon is actually a thatched wooden house built on low-lying land. When it rains outside, the ground will become muddy, unlike the stilt building, which is clean and refreshing, and only when there is a lot of water upstream will it be soaked in the water, and it will become a veritable water prison.

Hu Zhengliang, the lieutenant captain of the 7th detachment, was glad that the commander did not formulate a radical rescue plan, and did not ask the brothers to sneak in at night or infiltrate from other directions to rescue them.

The cell is located in the southeast corner of the T-shaped river, surrounded by a wooden fence nearly three meters high, on the left of the fence is a warehouse guarded by sentinels, on the right is the barracks of the second company of guards, on the south is a small river, there is a small wooden bridge over the river, there is a sentry post at the end of the bridge, there are two sentry towers on this side of the bridge, and two fire points are arranged on the upper floor, so that the entire cell can be condescendingly monitored while providing cross-fire support for the opposite bank.

On the way from the entrance of the village to the north, not only did there live many Yue Gs on both sides, but there were also at least four dogs.

In the middle of the night, the night vision devices manufactured by the Phu Quoc Electronics Industry Company were not so reliable, and the whereabouts of the detachment would be exposed if they were not careful.

There are enemies everywhere, the terrain is unfamiliar, the lights are dark, and once the whereabouts are exposed, there will definitely be heavy casualties.

At present, the enemy's attention is all focused on the east bank, and the nearly 100 enemies who have just been organized have turned a blind eye to the detachment and rushed to the northeast without hesitation. Even a few of the enemies guarding the prisoners of war seemed to be crazy, and when they saw that the entrance to the village to the north was blocked, they actually left the prisoners of war and jumped into the river with those cadres to swim to the east bank to support.

Obviously surrounded by enemies, but no one was interested in him, Hu Zhengliang, who thought he would have a fierce battle, was ridiculed. simply fortify on the spot, and let Fang Le, the inner line who led the way, go in with the gunner Xiao Wu to rescue the prisoners of war.

"Fourth, your arm is fine, hurry up and bandage it."

The grenadier raised his right arm, shook his head, and said, "It's okay, just scratch some skin." ”

Hu Zhengliang lowered his head and counted how many magazines were left. Zheng Zhirao, the deputy squad leader who went to the right to reconnoitre, ran over and said breathlessly: "There should be no one in the camp, but the two guards at the bridgehead are still there." ”

"Where's the machine gun on it?"

"Withdrawn."

The pressure was all on the north, and Hu Zhengliang was about to ask the signal corps to inquire about the situation of the 6th detachment, when the order of the field commander Zhu Wensong arrived: "7 detachment, 7 detachment, the enemy forces on the east bank have been defeated by us with the support of the air force, and the four detachments here are clearing the battlefield to pursue the remnants." In order to expand the results of the battle and reduce casualties. As soon as your detachment frees the prisoners of war, you take the wooden bridge and, together with the two detachments stationed at the threshing floor, block the enemy troops on the west bank in the village. ”

To the east is the river, to the west is a large rice field, and only to the south can you enter the forest, and to the north can you enter the thatched meadow that is more than one person high. A second wave of air support is imminent, and the enemy on the west bank is running east or west. will be exposed to the pilot's sight.

Hu Zhengliang realized that the captain of the brigade was ready to repeat his old trick and direct air fire to carry out another air raid on the west bank. Without hesitation, he agreed: "Yes!" ”

The time was urgent, and the 7th detachment immediately divided into three routes.

The deputy detachment leader led people to deal with the enemy on the other side of the bridge, the first combat squad was on alert on the spot, and the others went in with Hu Zhengliang to deal with the prisoners of war.

The reason for the delay was due to the fact that there were 9 wounded and 7 sick among the prisoners of war.

Qiao Ren was like a dream, and he couldn't believe that all this was true. Holding back the sharp pain of the wound, he choked up and asked, "Sir, which unit are you from, and how many people are you here?" ”

"Special forces in the fourth theater, your 5th Division detective team is nearby. Now is not the time to speak, there will be an air raid immediately, so withdraw quickly. ”

"Come over if you're not injured, two help one person, move fast!"

After the catastrophe, and the comrades-in-arms of the same unit also came, the 33 prisoners of war of the 5th Infantry Division were excited, and hurriedly helped and carried them on their backs, and carried them to the bridge under the cover of the 7th detachment.

I heard the explosion just now, and the two enemies on the south bank were indeed eliminated.

Thick smoke billowed from the northeast direction, and the gunfire gradually thinned out, and the enemy who was trying to storm the entrance of the village to the north finally reacted, gave up support for the east bank, and was turning his guns in an attempt to break through to the south.

The machine gunner Lao Jin finished the last bullet chain and said anxiously: "Captain, there are too many enemies, we can't withstand it, just blow up the bridge!" ”

Hu Zhengliang shouted while shooting to cover his retreat: "Maybe I will come back, air support will arrive soon, don't bomb for the time being, hold on for a few more minutes." ”

"Yes!"

Not blowing up the bridge doesn't mean not making some preparations, so Kim threw his machine gun into the arms of a brother who had just been rescued, took out the mines from the backpacks of the riflemen and spearheads, and took advantage of the precious time that the captain and the brothers had bought to lay on the bridgehead in the rain of bullets.

This is standard combat procedure for dealing with such a situation, and there is no need to give orders at all.

By the time he had finished arranging, more than 30 people had all crossed the river, and the rest of the team members worked in pairs, alternately covering and retreating, until they reached the grove on the south bank.

"No bullets!"

"I have, then!"

The pursuers came quickly, another brother was in a hurry, Lao Jin realized that he could not delay any longer, and immediately pressed the detonator, with a loud noise, eight Claymore mines, each spewing out hundreds of directional bearing steel balls, forming a fan-shaped killing surface, and the steel storm was like an autumn wind sweeping away leaves, overturning dozens of enemies who were about to rush to the bridgehead to the ground.

Compared to those who lay on the ground and wailed, those who were killed by the explosion were undoubtedly lucky, at least they would not have any more pain.

The powerful anti-personnel mines suppressed the enemy behind, the bridge was already very narrow, there was not even a guardrail, and there were "puppet troops" on the opposite side to block it, no one wanted to make senseless sacrifices, some turned back, some looked for cover on the spot, and some fled to the west.

Hu Zhengliang wiped a handful of sweat, turned around and asked, "Is anyone hurt?" ”

"Shi Chao was shot in the thigh, but fortunately he didn't hurt his bones."

"Hurry up and bandage and count the ammunition."

Special forces are very capable of fighting, that is, the ammunition is not hit.

The signal soldier with the most ammunition had only four magazines left, Lao Jin's machine gun had not a single round left, and the other machine gunner had just over 300 rounds left......

The deputy squad leader was about to redistribute the ammunition when a sudden call came from the walkie-talkie: "Detachment 7." Detachment 7, I, Tiger, air support will arrive immediately, and smoke grenades will be fired immediately to determine the position. ”

"Detachment 7 received, detachment 7 received."

Detachments 7, 6 and grenadiers on the east bank simultaneously fired smoke grenades, looking down from the air. The area of engagement was again marked with a conspicuous white smoke triangle.

This time, the forward air traffic controller piloted the general liaison plane, and like Shang Wei, who had already returned to refuel, swooped in from the southeast and fired two rockets in a row at the center, marking the "bull's-eye" of the F8F Panda fighter formation that followed closely behind.

The F8F Panda fighter was originally a carrier-based fighter developed by the United States in World War II to deal with the Japanese Zero fighter, but unfortunately it was born at the wrong time, and as soon as it was equipped with the US Navy, Japan surrendered unconditionally.

On the battlefield in Vietnam, the French Air Force used the Panda for a task that the U.S. Navy considered incompetent during the Korean War - ground support. Use the Panda's powerful power, maneuverability, and short-range take-off capabilities to mount bombs, rockets, and ******, and use it as a ground attack aircraft.

One, two, three, four......

Two formations of 12 fighters, under the guidance of the general liaison planes of the Fourth Tactical Region Air Force, roared and launched indiscriminate bombardment, bombs, rockets, and ****** continued to rain, turning the entire village into a terrible hell on earth.

There are civilians in the village, and there are quite a few of them.

But no one mentioned it, and no one will mention it. It's like you don't know anything.

Even teenage children helped stand guard and sentry, and in Hu Zhengliang's mind, there were only enemies in enemy-occupied areas. After turning over two packs of cigarettes for a long time, he gave the brothers of the 5th Infantry Division a walk, and said half-jokingly: "It's fun to light a cigarette and watch the fireworks, come to one, and go home after smoking." ”

In order to avoid accidentally injuring friendly troops, Air Force pilots left enough safety distance when dropping bombs.

The hearts of those who survived were palpitating. Some jumped into the river, some fled to the west, and some even surrendered to the 6th detachment that was stubbornly defending the threshing floor.

The task has been completed, and Zhu Wensong is not even interested in chasing big fish like Ruan Zhiqing, so naturally he will not order his subordinates to chase those small fish. So over the rice fields. It suddenly became a hunting ground for air force pilots, circling, diving, and strafing until all the machine gun rounds were fired, and then they returned home with endless enthusiasm.

A few prisoners were captured on the east bank, and there was an inside line like Ruan Xuan Dao, and the results of the battle were quickly counted, and the whereabouts of Ruan Zhiqing and Ruan Van Linh had been figured out.

When the news reached Tan Son Nhat Airport, there was jubilation in the headquarters.

Nguyen Gao Qi decided to make persistent efforts, and said to several officers of the paratrooper brigade who had arrived in a hurry: "The headquarters of the North Vietnamese Bureau has been bombed into ruins by us, and the Vietnamese cadres captured by the ground forces have confirmed that Tran Van Cha, former deputy chief of the general staff of the North Vietnamese People's Army, member of the Military Committee of the Southern Bureau of the Workers' Party of North Vietnam, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Southern National Liberation Front, and Pham Binh Binh, political commissar of the Southern People's Liberation Armed Forces, were killed on the spot. Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces Nguyen Huu Chan, Logistics Chief Pham Van Shu, and Deputy Political Commissar Tran Du were seriously wounded and captured.

Kill the two of them at once and catch the three of them!

Now that the whereabouts of Nguyen Chi Thanh and Nguyen Van Linh have basically been ascertained, the paratrooper brigade wants to make a comeback and win its own honor, so it sends two battalions to the C-91 and C-86 areas to beat up the water dogs and hunt for the fish that have slipped through the net. If you wish, I can take care of the transportation and provide you with air cover and aerial reconnaissance. ”

The Ministry of National Defense, the General Staff Department, and the Military Aid Command have used so many manpower and financial resources to search for the North Vietnamese bureau for several years, and have carried out dozens of air raids on a larger scale than today, but none of them have succeeded once, and several officers will be suspicious of Nguyen Gao Qi's victory.

There is only one chance, and pulling you together is to give you face.

Ruan Gaoqi said with an unhappy face: "Those who have been bombed beyond recognition can be ripped off, and the captives are sure to be true or false, I will know if they are escorted back." Hurry up, do not do it to give a sentence, you don't **** to find the special army. ”

Someone was captured, and he probably wouldn't have joked on such a sensitive issue.

The paratrooper brigade was originally the most elite combat unit in the national army, but because of the "Double 11 coup" d'état, it was suddenly thrown into the cold palace, and its status plummeted, and even the military salary could not be paid in time.

As the person in front of me said, if the paratrooper brigade wants to change the status quo, it must fight a turnaround.

A major muttered: "Brother Qi, it's no problem to pull the troops to the airport, the key is that we have neither intelligence nor supplies, nothing, how can this battle be fought?" ”

Fearing reprisals, the 4th Tactical Zone did nothing but decided to give credit to it.

Ruan Gaoqi was not afraid of retaliation, this was an opportunity for him to establish his position, slammed the table, and said in high spirits: "I will provide the information, I will be responsible for the logistics, and I will airdrop what you want." The Vietnamese G command has been terminated, and the head of the Southern Bureau has been killed and disabled by us, and now they are leaderless, and the entire command system is paralyzed, even if they can't catch Ruan Zhiqing and Nguyen Van Linh, kill a few of their local troops, and destroy a few of their logistics supply points. ”

As soon as he finished speaking, a staff officer ran in happily: "Brother Qi, the dog farm has reported that Wu Zhigong, deputy secretary of the North Vietnamese Bureau and political commissar of the 5th Military Region, has been killed, and his body has been found. Nguyen Thi Binh, a member of the ********** of the Southern National Liberation Front and vice chairman of the Southern Liberation Women's Federation, was seriously injured and did not know if he could be saved. ”

Ruan Gaoqi asked knowingly: "Is that the woman who went to Warsaw to attend the World Youth Congress last year?" ”

"yes, that's it."

"If you heard it, I took two more, and I wanted to do it quickly, otherwise I wouldn't even be able to drink the soup."

"Okay, I'll call now."

Ruan Gaoqi is already a blockbuster if he doesn't make a sound, he is not afraid of big movements, but he is afraid that the movements are not big enough.

The T-28 squadron, which flew together on the first wave of air raids, ordered the airport to be closed and asked the airlines to land in Vung Tau or Can Tho. With so many planes mobilized at once and the airport closed, such a big move naturally could not be concealed from the staff headquarters that was close at hand.

The first reaction of generals such as Nguyen Khanh, Tran Son Kham, and Le Van Gi was a coup d'état, and they immediately reported it to Gia Long Palace, as well as to the U.S. Embassy and Military Aid Command.

The officers and men of the 1st Battalion stationed at Tan Son Nhat Airport, which are directly subordinate to the Air Force Command, faithfully carried out the orders of the "coup officers" of the Air Force Young Zhuang faction such as Nguyen Gao Qi and kept out all the officers of the General Staff and US advisers who came to inquire about the news.

No one knew where he would throw bombs, and Ngo Dinh Diem could only exercise restraint and demand that the other troops who hurried to the airport not shoot without an order, and the tension outside the gate was extremely extreme, and there was a possibility that the paratroopers who were about to come to the airport to board the plane had to enter the runway from the grass on the east side. (To be continued.) )