Champs Elysees CBI (id:#57168)

Critical Hit (Dien Bien Phu ID: DBP CG 1)   [next]   [previous]

Dien Bien Phu, French Indochina 1954-03-30 (2 others)

Overview:

In desperate need of a spectacular victory after a long, bloody, eight year conflict, the French High Command established a fortified hedgehog at Dien Bien Phu in Tonkin in November 1953. Overconfidence, and poor strategic planning on the part of the French led them to believe that they could hold this ten-mile long by six-mile wide valley through a series of fortified strongpoints. Furthermore, this base was in- tended to lure the Vietminh army to attack and expose their forces to swift decima- tion by highly mobile French units. The French were unaware that they were vastly outnumbered in both men and artillery by General Giap's Vietminh. They failed to forsee that the Vietminh would occupy the surrounding hills and use these obser- vation sites to shell the airfield with artillery, effectively isolating the garrison to resupply. General Giap planned the battle in stages. In Phase One the battle which began on March 13, four Vietminh divisions supported by an artillery divi- sion (modelled on the SovietWW I division) attacked. The French suffered disas- trously: three crucial northern strongpoints fell, a third of their infantry and artil- lery were lost, all observation points, as well as dozens of aircraft and most cru- cially, the use of the airstrip. Supplies would now only be delivered by ineffective paradrops, the wounded could not be evacuated and close air support was severely curtailed. After replacing their own heavy losses, Giap launched Phase Two (the longest and most violent phase of the battle) on March 30.

Defender: French (6th Parachute Battalion, 13e DBLE, 1/2 REI with Garrison units)  

Errata (source)