On the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) front, at 6:30 am on March 19, Division 320 launched an attack, annihilating an enemy cluster 2 km south of Cheo Reo Town. At the same time, to the northwest of the town, Regiment 9 seized Phu Thien. In the southeast, an enemy unit along with vehicles and artillery retreated towards Ianu but was ambushed by our troops, forcing them to regroup west of Moria Pass. Between 10 am and 1 pm on March 19, Regiment 64 advanced, destroying and capturing the entire enemy force.
On the Quang Tri front, on the night of March 18 to the early morning of March 19, our forces launched a coordinated attack on the enemy’s defensive lines. In the eastern direction, at dawn on March 19, Infantry Battalion 3 of Quang Tri Province, in coordination with Tank Company 7 of Tank Brigade 203, successfully captured key positions, including Tai Luong, Dao Dau, Phu Luu, Trieu Duong, Thanh Hoi, Gia Dang, My Thuy, and Tham Khe.
In the northwest, on the night of March 18, Battalion 14 of Quang Tri Province, reinforced by the Le Hong Phong Company, launched a three-pronged attack and seized positions such as Phu Luong, Ben Da, Hai Son, My Chanh, Phuoc Mon, Long Hung, Thuong Xa, Dien Sanh, Trung Son, Phuoc Dien, An Nhon, Tich Tuong, Nhu Le, and La Vang.
In the western direction, Battalion 8 attacked the enemy along the Nhung River towards Truong Tho and My Chanh. Provincial Battalion 812 pursued the enemy from Hai Lang through Doc Bau and My Chanh, striking enemy clusters in Hai Kinh, Hai Nhi, and Hai Van. Battalion 10 engaged the enemy southwest of Hill 367 before advancing to capture Ho Lay.
Provincial guerrilla forces in Quang Tri, who had been besieging enemy positions southwest of Hai Lang, simultaneously launched an offensive, pursuing the enemy at key heights 235, 367, and 222, as well as at Ong Do Cave and several enemy outposts west of Hai Lang.
The people of Quang Tri’s border districts and lowland areas rose up, dismantled resettlement zones to return to their villages, seized government buildings, eliminated oppressive forces, and persuaded puppet soldiers to desert. By 6:30 pm on March 19, 1975, Quang Tri Province was completely liberated.
In northern Thua Thien Province, facing our strong and unexpected offensive along the entire northern defensive line, on March 19, the enemy hurriedly retreated south to regroup along the My Chanh-Thanh Huong line. General Ngo Quang Truong, Commander of Military Region I, the puppet I Corps, flew to Saigon to seek approval for a new defence plan. However, upon hearing that Quang Tri had fallen completely, he rushed back to Huong Dien to convene his unit commanders and discuss defensive measures to hold Thua Thien-Hue and retain their remaining strongholds.
On the afternoon of March 19, the Command of the Tri-Thien Military Region held a meeting, recognising the arrival of a major strategic opportunity. They swiftly prepared plans for the liberation of Thua Thien-Hue, which were submitted for approval to the Standing Committee of the Regional Party Committee and the Military Region Party Committee.
The Military Region Command ordered the Quang Tri Provincial Military Command to press forward and continue using armed forces to advance south, engaging and striking the enemy. The directive emphasised: "stopping now would be an unforgivable mistake".
