At 8: 00, 15, the South Vietnamese ship 16, which was intercepted by the formation of China Navy 396, turned around and headed straight for the 396 ship in an attempt to force the 396 ship to turn the rudder. This is a test of will, not steel. Without fear, the 396 ship rushed to the opponent with four times its tonnage. 16 turned to avoid at the last moment, but its bow still hit the 396 ship, damaging its command post, port tie rod and minesweeper.
After landing on the island, four ships of the South Vietnamese Navy maneuvered outward at the same time. After occupying a favorable position, they launched a battle formation and rushed to the Chinese ship. The Chinese four ships also made full use of their horsepower to meet. When the Chinese ship was about to enter the dead corner of the large-caliber artillery, the South Vietnamese fleet finally opened fire! 10: 22, South Vietnamese ships fired at the Chinese side at the same time, and the Chinese gunner also pressed the button and fired with his feet. Our shells were fired almost at the same time. Because the first shots of both sides were fired under the condition of stable aiming, they all hit very accurately. Eight warships of both sides were hit, and China 274 was hit on the podium. Political commissar Feng and vice captain Zhou Xitong died on the spot. The formation command post decisively ordered to continue to approach the enemy at high speed and fight the enemy by means of melee. The South Vietnamese Navy tried to distance itself and give full play to the power of its long-range artillery. But the China Navy's ship was small and fast, and the ships of the two armies soon joined. Small-caliber guns, such as Duplex 25 and 37, installed on the bow and stern of China ships, fired very fast, like bullets and raindrops, and the position of the South Vietnamese navy was quickly disrupted.
Vietnamese ships are surrounded by hounds like a huge bull. Although powerful, it is inconvenient to move, and large-caliber artillery fires slowly. Moreover, the Chinese ship is in a dead angle of fire and can't hit the nearby ships. Many Vietnamese shells hit their warships. According to the established plan, China boats 27 1 and 274 aimed at the South Vietnamese No.4 ship, and the bridge of No.4 ship quickly emitted smoke and fled in a hurry. Ship No.5 immediately intercepted the pursuit boat 274 from the side, and the boat braved the bullets to meet the enemy at full speed, from 1000 meters to 300 meters. The main gun of the Vietnamese ship was dumb, and the captain of the navy was seriously injured. Two other China minesweepers, 389 and 396, were also close to the South Vietnamese ships 10 and 16, which soon caused the bombs to catch fire, and the podium of the 389 ship was also damaged by enemy gunfire, causing heavy casualties. Due to the failure of the steering gear, the 389 ship rushed between two Vietnamese ships and was attacked by crossfire. A shell hit between two main engines, exploded and caught fire. Fortunately, it was put out in time. In order to repair the damaged generator, all five soldiers died in the smoky cabin with severe hypoxia.
At this time, the artillery of both sides was useless, and the captain of the 389 ship had a brainwave: throw grenades! At that time, several boxes of grenades were loaded on the ship, ready to be distributed to the island-guarding militia, which came in handy at this time. So too many cooks of China sailors successfully threw a series of grenades at the South Vietnamese ship 10. Someone picked up a submachine gun and fired at the 10 ship, and even pointed an anti-tank rocket launcher at the ship! So after the war, South Vietnam informed the media that "communist party used missiles." In this rare confrontation in the history of modern naval warfare, the captain of the South Vietnamese ship 10 was killed on the spot. However, the hull of the 389 ship was seriously tilted. After the 396 ship withdrew from the battle, it had to run aground on the beach with the help of our fishing boat to avoid sinking. The other three ships were damaged to varying degrees, and there was not much ammunition left.
At this point in the battle, it's time to decide the outcome. If the enemy ships resolutely attack at this time, it is hard to say who will win. 1 1: 20, China's main force 28 1, 282 galloped, and China's army was jubilant on the battlefield. In order to reach the war zone earlier, under the command of Liu, the two boats braved the wind and waves, racing at a speed 34 knots higher than the designed maximum speed of the ship, and finally arrived in time, and the balance of victory finally fell to the Chinese side. The South Vietnamese ship thought that many China reinforcements were coming, so it turned around and fled. Due to serious injuries, the damaged 10 ship was left far behind. Two ships, 28 1 and 282, caught up and sank the ship 10 in two volleys. At that time, China's naval formation did not organize Vietnamese troops to fish. Four or five days later, a Danish tanker rescued 23 South Vietnamese soldiers drifting at sea, while the remaining 60 crew members of the South Vietnamese ship named "Nu Tao" were killed in the raging waves in the South China Sea.
After receiving the battle report, * *, who was in command in Beijing, stubbed out his cigarette and said, "Do you want to eat?" Before leaving the combat duty room, * * * sent a telegram to * * to arrange the last task of Xisha naval battle: to continue to expand the battle and recover the three islands of coral, spring water and gold and silver.