SGGP 09/13/2023 07:17

On the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the birth of Major General, Professor, Academician, Hero of Labor Tran Dai Nghia (September 13, 1913 - September 13, 2023), we remember him - the man known as the "king of weapons", a name associated with the Vietnamese military industry. He is a typical example of intelligence, conscience, and human dignity in the Ho Chi Minh era.

Many scientists and researchers attended the scientific conference about Professor, Academician Tran Dai Nghia. Photo: TUAN QUANG

1. Tran Dai Nghia's real name is Pham Quang Le, born into a poor family of teachers in Tam Binh district, Vinh Long province. He lost his father at the age of 7 and was raised by his mother and sister. After finishing primary school in My Tho, he went to Saigon to study at Petrus Ky School. In 1933, he passed both Vietnamese and French baccalaureates at the same time and not long after received a scholarship to study in France.

With all his efforts in studying, he received 3 university degrees at the same time (bridge engineering, electrical engineering and bachelor of mathematics). After that, he continued to get a degree in aeronautical engineering. He also spent time in Germany studying aircraft manufacturing and weapons research, then returned to France to work as chief engineer for the Concord Aircraft Research and Manufacturing Company. He bought books related to weapons with all his savings, studied day and night, waiting for the opportunity to return to help the country. What he always had in mind was that Vietnam had a tradition of fighting but lacked modern weapons.

In 1946, during his visit to France, Uncle Ho met and talked with overseas Vietnamese and listened to Pham Quang Le express his desire to bring the military technical knowledge he had accumulated over many years abroad to serve the country. After this meeting, Uncle Ho left France for Vietnam, accompanied by four overseas Vietnamese. Pham Quang Le returned to Vietnam with a ton of books on weapons. Uncle Ho gave him the name Tran Dai Nghia and assigned him the important responsibility of being the first Director of the Vietnam Military Industry.

2. With the trust and special care of Uncle Ho, and the effective cooperation of his teammates, in early 1947, after more than 5 months of returning home, Tran Dai Nghia and his colleagues manufactured the Bazooka gun - the first anti-tank gun modeled after the American model, which could shoot 600m away, with a lethal range of 50m, and the bullet's penetration depth reached 75cm on a brick wall, equivalent to bullets made by the US. The Bazooka gun contributed to destroying the French campaign at the Cau Moi - Ha Dong front. During the Thu Dong campaign, the Bazooka gun also sank a French warship on the Lo River.

His and his colleagues' next invention was the SKZ recoilless rifle, weighing 20kg, used to shoot at fortified fortresses and penetrate concrete bunkers. In the 1950s, our army used the SKZ recoilless rifle on the South Central battlefield, eliminating 5 forts in one night. During the Dien Bien Phu campaign, our army brought 10 SKZs and 100 shells to the battlefield. Next was the DKZ, then flying bombs that hit clustered points similar to German weapons. Later, we manufactured missiles that hit targets 4km away.

During the resistance war against the US, our improved weapons contributed to fighting against B52s, destroying US mines and manufacturing special equipment for special forces. According to Uncle Ho's prediction: "Sooner or later, the US imperialists will send B52s to attack Hanoi, and only when they lose will they admit defeat". Tran Dai Nghia, together with scientists and research units, effectively improved the SAM-2 missile, the KX equipment, along with measures on shooting tactics, the brave fighting spirit and the anti-aircraft combat skills of our army's missile troops, creating a 1972 "Dien Bien Phu in the air" in the sky of Hanoi.

On April 30, 1975, he quietly wrote in his notebook: “My mission has been completed.” That was the sacred mission of saving the country that he had cherished since his childhood.

3. He was promoted to general in 1948 and held many positions: Director of the Artillery Department, Deputy Director of the General Department of Logistics, Deputy Director of the General Department of Technology. After leaving the army, he was assigned to be the Principal of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Deputy Minister of Heavy Industry, Chairman of the State Committee for Science and Technology, Director of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Chairman of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations.

He was one of the first seven heroes to be awarded in 1952, along with Cu Chinh Lan, La Van Cau, Nguyen Thi Chien... He was the first general to be awarded the title of Hero. He was elected as an Academician of the Soviet Academy of Sciences in 1966, and was later awarded the Ho Chi Minh Medal.

Tran Dai Nghia was a general, a true scientist, who spent his whole life studying to be able to create modern weapons to defeat the powerful colonialists and imperialists. He was willing to give up a high salary, equivalent to 22 taels of gold a month at that time, to share the hardships with the people, to gain independence and freedom, and for the country to develop sustainably.

Tran Dai Nghia is worthy of being a heroic general of the army, a scientist who sacrificed himself for the country and the people. He is worthy of the name given by Uncle Ho. That name has also been given to schools, roads, memorial sites... so that future generations will always remember a man who always worked for a great cause.