Thanh Khe fishing port, the starting point of the Ho Chi Minh Sea route in Quang Binh

Thanh Khe fishing port, also known as Gianh River fishing port (Thanh Trach commune, Bo Trach district) is the starting point on the strategic transport route of the Ho Chi Minh sea trail in Quang Binh.

After the 1954 Geneva Accords, the US imperialists ousted France and established the Ngo Dinh Diem government in South Vietnam. Relying on US aid and management, the Ngo Dinh Diem government tried to sabotage the Geneva Accords, refused to negotiate a general election to unify the North and South; carried out the policy of “denouncing and destroying communists”, dragged the guillotine throughout the South, and massacred tens of thousands of patriotic compatriots and revolutionary soldiers in order to destroy the revolutionary movement in the South.

Realizing the urgent need to promptly support the people and soldiers in the South directly fighting against the US and the Republic of Vietnam government, on May 19, 1959, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense decided to establish the “Special Military Task Force” (Group 559) with the task of opening routes to transport goods, organizing the transportation of soldiers and cadres from the North to the South and from the South to the North.

In July 1959, the Ministry of National Defense decided to establish the 603rd Water Transport Battalion named “Gianh River Attack Group” under the 559th Group with comrade Ha Van Xa as Battalion Commander and comrade Luu Duc as Political Commissar. The battalion carried out the task of transporting troops, weapons, and goods to the South. After stabilizing the organization, the battalion was ordered to choose Thanh Khe fishing port as its base.

At the end of January 1960, the first sailing ship of Battalion 603 carrying nearly 5 tons of weapons, ammunition, and medicine left Thanh Khe port to be transferred to Inter-zone V. There were 6 people on the ship, with Lieutenant Nguyen Bat as captain, comrade Tran Thue as deputy captain, and other crew members. Taking full advantage of the element of surprise and secrecy, the ship quietly departed. However, as soon as it reached the Quang Nam sea, it encountered big waves and strong winds, the ship’s rudder broke and drifted to Cu Lao Xanh (Quang Ngai sea). The enemy here discovered it and immediately organized a siege. To ensure secrecy, Captain Nguyen Bat ordered the crew to quickly drop the goods into the sea before they were all captured by the enemy. Despite being exiled and brutally interrogated, the officers and crew members remained loyal to the revolution, determined not to reveal anything, and maintained secrecy.

After the first shipment failed to reach its destination, Battalion 603 temporarily ceased operations. In April 1960, the Ministry of National Defense decided to dissolve Battalion 603, merge it into the 301st Land Transport Battalion and assign the task of transporting and supporting by sea to the naval forces. Battalion 603 only existed for a short time with the first shipment being unsuccessful, but it marked the first shipment opening on the strategic Ho Chi Minh Trail at sea. Through this shipment, we learned more experience in the method of transporting and supporting by secret sea, helping the army and navy to successfully complete their tasks later.

Failing in the special war strategy, the US imperialists gradually switched to implementing the local war strategy, at the same time expanding the activities of the air force and navy to attack the North in Quang Binh, they stepped up reconnaissance activities, sent spies, and blockaded commandos in both the forest and sea directions.

On March 2, 1965, the US sent fighter planes taking off from offshore aircraft carriers to attack military bases on Gianh River, with Thanh Khe fishing port (Gianh port) as the focal point, in order to destroy our naval warships and port facilities. They continuously attacked from morning to night on anchorages, destroying our naval ships and injuring and killing many officers and soldiers. However, with the determination of “as long as there are people, there are ships, as long as there are weapons, there will be fighting“, the naval troops and air defense forces at the port steadfastly held their ground, fought bravely, and defeated major enemy raids.

In 1966, considering Thanh Khe fishing port as a place to transfer material support to the southern battlefield, the US imperialists continued to mobilize modern war vehicles and sophisticated weapons to attack bases at both ends of the port to destroy our transport ships and cargo transit areas, cutting off the water transport system passing through Thanh Khe port.

In July 1967, during the “Sea Dragon” campaign, the US mobilized nearly 50 warships of various types, organized into groups of two to three destroyers, to enter the coastal area of ​​Quang Binh. They dropped mines and magnetic bombs to blockade Thanh Khe fishing port, cargo reception and transit areas at Nhat Le port, ferry terminals, and wharves in river mouths and estuaries, destroying our transport ships. 127mm and 203mm artillery pieces on US naval warships continuously bombarded coastal and river mouth targets and advanced deep into our inland areas.

Faced with the enemy’s escalating attacks, our artillery units actively fought back, causing much damage to enemy warships. Typically, on March 1, 1967, the 8th Artillery Company of Quang Binh damaged the American cruiser Canberra.

Determining that support for the Southern battlefield was a long-term and comprehensive strategic task, the more fiercely the enemy attacked and blocked, the more the sea transportation route developed. After the Tet Offensive and Uprising in 1968, assessing that the enemy would temporarily stop attacking the North, the Party Central Committee advocated launching a large-scale transportation campaign to support the Southern battlefield. Quang Binh also received orders to prepare to participate in this special transportation campaign. The campaign was called VT5. It was estimated that within three months, VT5 would bring about 120,000 tons of goods to Quang Binh to transfer to the battlefields. Thanh Khe fishing port and Nhat Le port would be the places to receive the goods. To implement the plan, the Quang Binh Provincial Party Committee directed the establishment of two receiving stations: Thanh Khe port in the North and Nhat Le – Dong Hoi port in the South.

On November 2, 1968, the first convoy of ships departing from Hai Phong docked at Thanh Khe fishing port. From November 1968 to April 1970, the VTS campaign transported nearly 35,000 tons of goods to Thanh Khe port for transfer to the battlefield.

On the southern battlefield, the war between us and the enemy became increasingly fierce. To ensure the need for support to serve the fight, Quang Binh received the KHR1 plan, receiving aid from countries by sea to transport to various routes. Thanh Khe fishing port enterprise was assigned the task of being the core force to implement the plan. In March 1972, the first aid shipment including rice and necessities was received safely and secretly. After that, the enemy discovered that we were gathering goods at Gianh port, so they mobilized warships and planes to bomb and blockade the entire area around the port. Notably, on the night of January 13, 1973, American planes bombed the Thanh Khe port transit station, causing 156 soldiers and port workers who were on duty to load and transport goods to be injured or killed.

With the slogan: “roads are blocked but goods cannot be blocked”, soldiers and workers did not fear hardships and dangers, steadfastly stayed at the port, received thousands of tons of rice to be transported to the battlefield, determined to excellently complete the mission for the goal of defeating the American invaders.

Over the years, the heroic feats and noble sacrifices that the cadres, soldiers and workers of Thanh Khe fishing port established during the resistance war against the US will forever be recorded in the history of the nation’s struggle, contributing to the historical miracles on the strategic transport route to support the Ho Chi Minh Trail at sea. Today, the country is in the period of renovation, the cadres and soldiers of Thanh Khe fishing port continue to promote the heroic tradition of the previous generation, determined to build a port that is strong in economy, stable in political security, firmly protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland, contributing with the people of Quang Binh in particular and the whole country in general to successfully carry out the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country. Protecting and promoting the value of the historical relic of Thanh Khe fishing port (Gianh port) has great significance in educating the tradition of patriotism and revolutionary struggle for all classes of people, especially the young generation today and tomorrow.