Memories from Lam Son Forge

"Cu Cap", "Cu Cap's road", "Cu Cap's mine", "Cu Cap's gun"... are the simple words that the people of Hong Viet commune, now Hoa An commune, Cao Bang province, still mention with respect when talking about comrade Dang Van Cap, who has devoted his life to Le To Arms Workshop since his birth. Mr. Trung took us up Lam Son mountain to visit the Red bunker, where in early 1942, Lung Hoang gun repair facility was established, the predecessor of Le To Arms Workshop. With only bellows, anvils, hammers and steel for drilling gun barrels provided by the Mong people, the first 6 workers quietly repaired and manufactured weapons for the revolution.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony to inaugurate the stele marking the Le To Military Arsenal at Lam Son Mountain, Hong Viet Commune, now Hoa An Commune, Cao Bang Province, December 2024. Photo: PHAM HA

From Lung Hoang, the base was successively moved to Tinh Dao, Nam Gioi, Pac Nguom... These places marked the growth of the Workshop. Under the direction of Uncle Ho and the protection of the people, the Workshop continuously expanded, from repairing guns to manufacturing landmines, bombs, and mixing explosives. By Nga stream, at the foot of Phja Den mountain, the sound of forging hammers day and night blended with the echoes of the resistance.

“Back then, we ate whatever we had, wore whatever we had, but no one abandoned their duty. We worked during the day and fought at night,” recalled Vi Nam Son, one of the workers who used to work at the factory and now lives in Hoa An commune.

During the resistance war against French colonialism, the Le To Weapons Workshop in Hong Viet Commune was the place where the Cao-Bac-Lang Inter-Provincial Party Committee produced weapons, established to serve the Border Campaign in 1950. However, according to historical records, the predecessor of the Le To Weapons Workshop was a small forge established by the Cao-Bac-Lang Inter-Provincial Party Committee in early 1942 to experiment with casting grenades and landmines. During his lifetime, General Vo Nguyen Giap once said: “In early 1942, the Cao-Bac-Lang Inter-Provincial Party Committee decided to establish a small forge to experiment with casting grenades and landmines. I remember comrade Cap was assigned to be in charge of this work. The materials were donated by the people, all pots, basins, copper trays and scrap iron.

Representatives of local Party committees, authorities and representatives of the Department of Armaments, General Department of Logistics and Technology surveyed the location to build a stele marking the birthplace of Le To Armament Factory, October 2024. Photo: PHAM HA

The day I passed by for work, I received a message from Mr. Dong (later Prime Minister Pham Van Dong) about a Red bunker in a very deep valley, behind several rocky mountains to attend the test of the first landmine that had just been manufactured. They said that when testing each part, all the components were good. We sat on a high mountain, hiding behind a large rock, everyone was nervous. Mr. Cap ordered: "Pull it!". Everyone saw smoke rising, but waited until the smoke cleared but still did not see the landmine explode. Mr. Le Quang Ba (later Major General, Commander of the Viet Bac Military Region) was also present that day, saying in the Tay language: "Te lang di ty", meaning "it still has a fuse". After that, Mr. Cap and his fellow workers continued to research and were successful. This forge was later expanded to become the Lam Son Military Workshop. So it can be said that the forge in the Red bunker was our first military workshop".

According to comrade Hoang Duc Chiem, former Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoa An district (now Hoa An commune), a historical witness who used to live next to the factory, the Red bunker was another name for the Le To-Lam Son Military Arsenal. At that time, Mr. Chiem was still young and was assigned to lay mines with other teenagers in the area, killing French invaders many times, making the enemy not dare to attack the Factory again.

From Lam Son to Dinh Hoa, the mark continues

During the peak period of 1947-1950, Le To Military Arsenal produced and repaired thousands of guns, hundreds of landmines, bombs and many other combat equipment. Thanks to the support of the people of Hong Viet, Hoang Tung and Binh Long communes of Hoa An district, during the resistance war against French colonialism, the Arsenal was always absolutely protected and timely supplied with both food and raw materials.

The effectiveness of the Le To Arms Factory's combat service was clearly demonstrated through ambushes and anti-sweep battles. The Le To Self-Defense Force, equipped with equipment from the Factory's own products, destroyed dozens of enemies, captured many weapons, and maintained the base's position.

Lam Son cave relic, Hong Viet commune, now Hoa An commune, Cao Bang province, where Le To Military Arsenal was born.

In 1951, Le To Ordnance Factory was assigned to the 351st Division, named C2, under the 361st Technical Battalion, marking the transition from a local organization to a regular national army. However, in the minds of the Hoa An people, the name Le To has always been a symbol of the spirit of worker-peasant solidarity, the will to rise up in the midst of bombs and bullets.

The relic of Doi Can Workshop - K77 Military Weapons Factory at ATK Dinh Hoa today is considered the sturdy "trunk" of the Vietnamese military weapons industry. But as comrade Nguyen Quoc Trung said: "If Doi Can is the trunk, then Le To is the first seed sown in the soil of Cao Bang, in the fire and smoke, in hardship".

With such great contributions, in 1950, Le To Ordnance Factory was awarded the First Class Military Exploit Medal - a worthy reward for silent and heroic soldiers.

Late in the afternoon, we left Lam Son. The mountain mist returned to the valley, covering the old stone fields. The guide, comrade Nguyen Quoc Trung, silently bowed his head before the relic of the old forge. A whisper echoed: “Le To - the beginning... and must never be forgotten”.

Article and photos: NGUYEN HONG SANG

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-phong-an-ninh/xay-dung-quan-doi/tro-ve-coi-nguon-nganh-quan-gioi-844298