Dien Bien Phu Main

8/12/2019 Dien Bien Phu Main

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THIS SLIDE AND PRESENTATION

WAS PREPARED BY

DAVE SABBENWHO RETAINS COPYRIGHT

ON CREATIVE CONTENT

THE

12 DECISIVE BATTLESOF THETHREE INDO-CHINA WARS

presented byDAVE SABBEN MG

01 - Dien Bien Phu


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BACKGROUND

The French ruled Indo-China since late 1800s,

always against nationalist movements.

1920s: The Vietnamese Nationalist Party.

1930: Ho Chi Minh & Communist Party.Then WW2: When France fell to Germany,

Indo-China part of Vichy govtthus pro-Japan.

Japan was at war with China (since 1937)

so they entered Viet Nam to flank China.

1941: VN Independence Movement = Viet Minh,

who opposed both French & Japanesethus were pro-British & pro-USA.

1945Potsdam Conf: after the war:

NorthVN was to be administered by China;

SouthVN was to be administered by the British.

1945: Ho Chi Minh with US support

declared Democratic Republic of Vietnam.1946: French troops arrived back in Viet Nam.

Viet Minh & French drove Chinese forces out.

Then Viet Minh opposed French for power:

Start of 1stIndo-China War. 2a

The VIET MINH

can be thought of

as the Viet Congof the 40s & 50s.

Their official name

was the League

for the

Independence of

Vietnam.


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2b

CONDUCT

1) The French immediately seized the

major ports, towns and infrastructure;

2) The Viet Minh seized control of the

countryside and rural communities;

3) The French established chains of forts

and garrisons along major routes;

4) By 1949, 300,000 Viet Minh under Gen,

Giap, with huge China & Soviet support;

5) Viet Minh hit outposts, ambushing reliefforce French onto defence;

6) 1950-1953wins and losses to each

sidebattle honours very even

(losses never admitted by Vietnamese);

7)

8)

FACTORS

Frenchnational prestige, economics

USAstop global communism, strategic

Chinadeny Soviet access to Indian Ocean

Sovietkeep China hemmed in

Vietnamesenationalism, self-determination.

THE NATURE OF THE WAR

For the Vietnamese:

Political, with military support;

For all non-Vietnamese:

Military, with political support. 1953Giap invades Laos (part of

French Indo-China)focus on support;France wants to interdict Giapssupply

linesso they set up

Dien Bien Phu

General Vo Nguyen Giap


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Heres a simplified conventional map

(vertical view),

and an oblique-view map-diagram

3a


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3b


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20 Nov 1953Operation Castor

Six Battalions of French Paratroopers from

1stand 2ndAirborne Battle Groups (3500 men)

parachute into the valley around the village of

Dien Bien Phu.Nam Yum River

N

Dien

Bien

Phu

0

0

1 mile

1km

HIGH

GROUND

4Commander of the French forces,

Colonel Christian De Castries.


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Nam Yum River

N

Dien

Bien

Phu

0

0

1 mile

1km

HIGH

GROUND





Dien Bien Phu.

Within 10 days, the force built to 10,800 men.

Aninterlocking network of strong-pointswas

establishedreputedly named after the former

mistresses of the French Commander,

Colonel de Castries, but in fact, just 9 namesstarting alphabetically from A to I.

Anne-Marie

Huguette

Francoise

Beatrice

Dominique

Eliane

HQ

Claudine

Gabriel le

1kmIsabelle

5


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Nam Yum River

N

Dien

Bien

Phu

0

0

1 mile

1km

HIGH

GROUND





Dien Bien Phu.

Within 10 days, the force built to 10,800 men.

An interlocking network of strong-points was

establishedreputedly named after the former

mistresses of the French Commander,

Colonel de Castries, but in fact, just 9 namesstarting alphabetically from A to I.

Air

strip

Anne-Marie

Huguette

Francoise

Beatrice

Dominique

Eliane

HQ

Claudine

Gabriel le

Once operational, they then flew in more troops,artillery, transport, supplies, concrete, wire etc

Artillery was dug in. Tanks and fighter aircraft

arrived, and the defences were hardened up.

1kmIsabelle

6

The first priority, after securing their ground

was to re-commission an old Japanese airstrip


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The Viet Minh reaction was to gather

all available forces to the valley.

In three months General Giap had gathered

3 Divisions onto the high ground overlooking

Dien Bien Phu, building that to 5 Divisions

(55,000 men) plus a 15,000-strong supply line.

He had a new supply roadbuilt and brought in a

newly-formed Heavy Weapons Division - the 371st

He stockpiled artillery and Anti-Aircraft ammunition

in the hills East of DBP. By the time he was ready,his artillery outnumbered the French 4 to 1.THE REALITY

By the end of January, 1954, Giap was in a

position to isolate DBP except from the air.

All he needed was to get the supplies in...

The propaganda machine was put to work:

Huge guns manhandled up steep slopes? The

reality was less spectacular, but just as deadly.

Nam Yum River

N

Dien

Bien

Phu

0

0

1 mile

1km

HIGH

GROUND

Air

strip

Anne-Marie

Huguette

Francoise

Beatrice

Dominique

Eliane

HQ

Claudine

Gabriel le

Viet Minh

312nd

Division

Viet Minh

308th

Division

Viet Minh

316th

Division

Viet Minh

308th

Division

1kmIsabelle

7VM 304th

Div opposes

Isabelle

HUGE GUNS

UP STEEP SLOPES


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Nam Yum River

N

Dien

Bien

Phu

0

0

1 mile

1km

HIGH

GROUND

1700 hrs, 13 March 1954

The siege of Dien Bien Phu began with a massive

Viet Minh barrage followed by human wave

assaults on the three northern outlying

positions: Gabrielle, Anne-Marie and Beatrice.

Air

strip

Anne-Marie

Huguette

Francoise

Beatrice

Dominique

Eliane

HQ

Claudine

Gabriel le

Viet Minh

312nd

Division

Viet Minh

308th

Division

Viet Minh

316th

Division

Beatrice fell quickly with 550 French KIA or

POW and 600 Viet Minh KIA and 1200 WIA.

Gabrielle fell 2 days later on the 15th, with

1000 French and up to 2000 Viet Minh dead.

Anne-Marie 3 days after that, on the 18thwhen

most of the defenders (Tai- an ethnic Vietnameseminority loyal to France) deserted.

Viet Minh

308th

Division 312

Div

312

Div

308

Div

308

Div

308

Div

316

Div

1kmIsabelle

8VM 304th

Div opposes

Isabelle

The airstrip was now exposed and unusable.

The French could not evacuate their wounded or

land supplies, which now had to be parachuted in.

Anti-aircraft fire made the drops inaccurate, and

30% of drops fell outside the perimeter.

Ammo, food and water was rationed.


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Nam Yum River

N

Dien

Bien

Phu

0

0

1 mile

1km

HIGH

GROUND

The period 18 to 30 March was a lull.

Viet Minh forces in the north were exhausted.

While they were rested, those in the south

closed in on Isabelle, isolating its 1800 men.

Air

strip

Huguette

Francoise

Dominique

Eliane

HQ

Claudine

Viet Minh

308th

Division

Viet Minh

316th

Division

While he awaited the arrival of his reinforcements,

Giap changed his strategy from direct assault to

a slow encirclement of encroaching trenches.

(Propagandaagain came to the fore!)

The monsoon broke on 22 April.

From 31 March to 5 April, not yet fully resupplied

& rested, Giap ordered his forces to attack again,

now targeting Huguette, Dominique and Elaine.

312

Div

308

Div

308

Div

308

Div

316

Div

312

Div

312

Div308

Div

308

Div

316Div

316

Div

1kmIsabelle

9VM 304th

Div opposes

Isabelle

By the end of the first week of April, all three

strong-points had been breached but were held.

Once again, the Viet Minh were exhausted.

In mid-April several Viet Minh units mutinied.

Theyd been fighting for a month and had suffered

6000 killed, about 9000 wounded and 2500 POW.

33%. Giap called in fresh reserves from Laos.


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Nam Yum River

N

Dien

Bien

Phu

0

0

1 mile

1km

HIGH

GROUND

After intense fighting on 2, 3 and 4 May,

the remainder of Dominique and Elaine fell and the

Viet Minh were crossing the river to attack Claudine

On 7 May, despite heavy bombing of the hills,

the final assaults began.

25,000 Viet Minh against 3000 French

Air

strip

Huguette

Francoise

Dominique

Eliane

HQ

Claudine

The French hastily set up two more strong-points:

Sparrowhawk and Juno, to help protect the

HQ Command Post.

The position was just over one mile in diameter.

312

Div308

Div

308

Div

316Div

316

Div

312

Div

312

Div

308

Div

316

Div

316

Div

308

Div

Juno

Sparrowhawk

By 1 May, after more fighting, much of the area in

strong-points Dominique and Elaine were in

Viet Minh hands and Huguette had fallen.

The northern half of the airstrip was lost.

Resupply was stopped.

Isabelle was out of water and low on ammo.

1kmIsabelle

10


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Nam Yum River

N

Dien

Bien

Phu

0

0

1 mile

1km

HIGH

GROUND

In total, some 9500 French and Colonial troops

were marched off into captivityto join over 2000 from other battles.

In the space of just 4 months,

Over 8000 of these POWs died

at the hands of the Viet Minh.

Air

strip

Francoise HQ

Claudine

Isabelle survived for less than 24 hours.

1700 men attempted a breakout to Laos.

About 70 arrived.

312

Div

312

Div

308

Div

316

Div

316

Div

308

Div

Juno

Sparrowhawk

By 1730hrs on 7 May it was over.

The French Command Bunkers were captured.

1kmIsabelle

11

Giap lost over 20,000 men.


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Dien Bien Phu was decisive in that

it brought to an end the

First Indo-China War.

The French empire in Indo-China ended.

The loss of French prestige as a colonial

power triggered conflict in its other

colonies and protectorates.

Six months later, the Algerian War started.

By 1956, the Morocco and Tunisia gained

their independence. Others followed.

The Geneva Accords subsequently

dividedthe former French colony

at the 17thParallel (the DMZ).

However, within 5 years, the Northwas infiltrating, subverting and

destabilising the South so much

that a Second Indo-China War

became inevitablein 1959.Victory Monument on Hill D1 at

Dien Bien Phu. 16.2m high on 3.6m base.

The largest cast bronze statue in Viet Nam. 12


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THE

12 DECISIVE BATTLESOF THETHREE INDO-CHINA WARS

presented byDAVE SABBEN MG

01 - Dien Bien PhuQuestions?


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THE FINE PRINTThis Powerpoint show is copyright to Dave Sabben but is freely

available for any non-profit use. It may be downloaded free from

Daves website: www.sabben.com

It was prepared for presentation to those who join his Decisive

Battlefields and Long Tan Trek Tours of Viet Nam (see green

panel for the commercial) as introductions for the various battles.

Because the shows are live presentations, much more is in the

narrative than is included in the text on the slides.

The shows are intended to be introductions and overviews

not detailed expositions or analyses. Views and conclusions

are the authors and are not offered as the only possible

or even as fully comprehensive views.

Where possible, permissions have been obtained to use maps or

photos but some have been used without specific permission.

Copyright holders who want their material either not used or

credited, please contact Dave Sabben at

http://www.sabben.com/contact%20us.html

Anyone wishing to make an anonymous donation towards the cost andtime of putting this show together is invited to make a donation of any

amount to (Australian) Westpac bank account BSB# 733 000, Account#853 546 (branch = 360 Collins St, Melbourne), or (Australian) CBA bank

account BSB# 063 550, Account# 1024 7640 (branch = Hampton,Victoria), either account in the name of David Sabben.

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THE COMMERCIALAs at 2011, Dave Sabben leads one tour per year (second half of

October) to visit some of the areas of Australian/ANZAC

operations of 1966-1971. The highlight of these tours is to walk

the Long Tan battlefield with Dave (a platoon Commander in that

battle). The walk takes about 4 hoursabout the time of the

battleso the group goes to all the key locations of the battle and

hears about what happened pretty much in real time.

For further enquiry into these tours, please visit:

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and select VN%20Long%20Tan%20Trek%20Tours.htmlor

VN%20Decisive%20Battlefields%20Tours.html

An optional extension to the Long Tan Trek Tour takes in the mainUS battles of northern South Viet Nam including Da Nang, Hue,

the DMZ (including Khe Sanh) and the A Shau Valley (Hamburger

Hill), then visits both Hanoi (Hanoi Hilton, War Museum) and the

Dien Bien Phu valley (both Viet Minh and French positions).

As well as the oncea-year-in-October tours, Dave can arrange a

similar tour at any time of year for a group of 20 or more. Dates,

durations, standards of accommodation, inclusions etc will be all

your call. Please contact Dave (with numbers and preferences) at

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Note that these are battlefield-oriented tours they do NOT go to thepopular tourist sites. Tourist tours can be added before or after.

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VICTORYMONUMENTNote all the elements of

victory at Dien Bien Phu.


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