– after that, the French command bunker was blown up The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was fought from March 13 to May 7, 1954, and was the decisive engagement of the First Indochina War (1946-1954), the precursor to the Vietnam War.In 1954, French forces in French Indochina sought to cut the Viet Minh's supply lines to Laos. – waves of the Viet Minh were attacking the strongpoint – the intense Viet Minh shelling took several hours But when the French forces found themselves caught in a death struggle with Communist forces at a northern outpost called Dien Bien Phu in the spring of 1954, Eisenhower faced a terrible dilemma. – the divisions were placed on the hills surrounding the valley – the prisoners spent several months in the Viet Minh POW camps The leadership of the garrison absolutely failed, as well as the French leadership in Vietnam and France. Some 6,000 reliable French troops (many African troops or Vietnamese auxiliaries preferred desertion to fighting) against more than 55,000 Viet Minh soldiers. In the end, of the 16,000 French troops, fewer than 100 broke through the siege at Dien Bien Phu, with the rest killed, wounded, or captured. – the Viet Minh got a chance to recover and to be prepared, – then, two 2e BEP companies attacked Huguette 1 from Opéra – however, the BMEP company lost 88 legionnaires – it was surrounded by a web of Viet Minh trenches – the main airstrip was targeted by the Viet Minh artillery – supported by the survivors from the 3rd Battalion, 13e DBLE – thereafter, to defeat the Viet Minh, November 20 – 22, 1953: – occupied by Tai partisans – a title for the French units based at Dien Bien Phu – three hours later, the defenders were overrun Having joined the Legion in 1950, Staff Sergeant Rolf Rodel served as a commando leader with 10th Company, 3rd Battalion, 3e REI at Isabelle in 1954. The Battle of Dien Bien Phu (in English) – that day near Isabelle, clashes with the Viet Minh – also 13e DBLE elements (led by Captain Philippe), April 18, 1954: The campaign began with a failed naval attack by British and ...read more, The Battle of Saratoga occurred in September and October, 1777, during the second year of the American Revolution. 850 men), – in addition to that, several hundreds of artillery personnel – occupied by Legion units – another 14 of his men were wounded, April 10, 1954: – he and his men would fight yet another five hours – a French officer, in the Legion since 1934 – the prisoners had to march some 380 miles (over 600 km) during 40 days – Provisional Foreign Parachute Battalion – April 19, replaced by a 13e DBLE company (Captain Chevallier) – Foreign Legion Armored Vehicle Repair Company – Eliane 4 + Eliane 10 were seized by the Viet Minh, – Loss of Eliane 3 + Eliane 11 + Eliane 12 – the new weapon was destroying the strongpoints, – Attack on Eliane 2 – a large valley in northwestern Vietnam Noong Bua. – led by Lieutenant Brandon + Lieutenant Le Cour Grandmaison – scared by a possible Viet Minh attack, they refused to fight – a French parachute battalion jumped over Dien Bien Phu – Major Bigeard (6e BPC) decided to retake the strongpoint – back then, he allowed his arm to be amputated without anesthesia, – March 15 is seen as the day the French lost the battle, March 16, 1954: – this defensive position was held by the 1st Battalion, 13e DBLE Dien Bien Phu & the Fall of French Indochina, 1954. – Eliane 2, held by two (or three) 13e DBLE companies (Major Coutant) – the French lost some 700 men there, – new reinforcements – Eliane 1 was quickly abandoned by Moroccans – he saw the fall of defensive positions as a fault of his artillery – in Indochina in the 1940’s, a conflict started between France and Ho Chi Minh – some 90 paratroopers from 1er BPC jumped over Dien Bien Phu – heavy clashes with the Viet Minh near Isabelle – led by Major Grand d’Esnon – shortly afterwards, at 03.00 PM (15:00) of May 7, the Moroccans surrendered – both units, significantly devastated, merged together As the monsoons transformed the camp from a dust bowl into a morass of mud, an increasing number of soldiers–almost four thousand by the end of the siege in May–deserted to caves along the Nam Yum River, which traversed the camp; they emerged only to seize supplies dropped for the defenders. – a small strongpoint, freshly created – they would be killed or imprisoned without firing a shot, April 28, 1954: – the northernmost defensive position of Dien Bien Phu – also served as a rear base for the entire Eliane – the valley had to serve as their forward operating base – led by Lieutenant Poirier, March 12, 1954: – the Francoise defensive position was abolished, April 1-2, 1954: – they left Indochina after almost 100 years of their presence, – some additional photos to document the battle. Dien Bien Phu War Remnants a popular tour. – that day, Tai auxiliaries left their strongpoint – at 12.30 PM (00:30), an intense battle started – however, the Viet Minh had already cut off the road – later, the platoon would become an armored mobile platoon – a new strongpoint of the Eliane defensive position – however, the companies were stopped by the Viet Minh A French newspaper from 1954, with the headline ‘Dien Bien Phu is a tomb’. – Eliane 11 and Eliane 12 were exposed French Foreign Legion information. – Lieutenant Le Cour Grandmaison + Lieutenant Pétré (ex-2e BEP) – led by Lieutenant Colcy – 5e BPVN was sent to help to defend Gabrielle – a strongpoint in the west of the French camp – at the end of the battle, only 12 combat-ready legionnaires – Operation Pollux – thousands of Viet Minh troops were wounded or missed Erwan Bergot: Dien Bien Phu (Presses de la Cité, 1989) In the late 1940s, the French struggled to control its colonies in Indochina - Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. wikipedia.org, More from the history of the Foreign Legion: – supported by M24 tanks – 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion (2e BEP, future 2e REP) – the end of the war came into force in July-August 1954 After French forces occupied the Dien Bien Phu valley in … – up to 14,000 French troops participated in the battle – less than 250 men, led by Lieutenant Rastouil, – at midnight, a 8e BPC company was sent to support the legionnaires – between the survivors, Captain Pouget The battle, which saw an early use of the deadly longbow by the English, ...read more. – in the early morning, a counter-attack Check into hotel then head out for a … – the defensive positions were composed of smaller, fortified strongpoints, – the majority of the original French paratroopers had left the valley – between the imprisoned, 5,200 men wounded – the largest airborne operation of the First Indochina War The battle started on March 13, 1954 and was over 56 days later, on May 7. – the fierce battle took all the night – the Viet Minh was everywhere – in the battle, 3e REI suffered heavy casualties The shock and agony of the dramatic loss of a garrison of around fourteen thousand men allowed French prime minister Pierre Mendès France to muster enough parliamentary support to sign the Geneva Accords of July 1954, which essentially ended the French presence in Indochina. – third, it confirmed the high level of combat readiness of French paratroopers, April 11, 1954: – about 300 officers and legionnaires of the battalion were killed or imprisoned It included two crucial battles, fought eighteen days apart, and was a decisive victory for the Continental Army and a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary ...read more, The Battle of Stalingrad was a brutal military campaign between Russian forces and those of Nazi Germany and the Axis powers during World War II. – France had roughly 6,500 infantry troops at Dien Bien Phu – about 50 legionnaires were wounded, March 31, 1954: John Kenneth Galbraith First Indochina War John Foster Dulles Rhythm And Blues Dien Bien Phu. – 380 men led by Major Liesenfelt – the defenders faced a Viet Minh regiment, – at the same time, an assault aimed at Eliane 10 – east + north-west – led by Captain Botella – Eliane 4 Book your tickets online for the top things to do in Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam on Tripadvisor: See 889 traveler reviews and photos of Dien Bien Phu tourist attractions. – held by the two 1er BPC companies, led by Captain Pouget – Viet Minh artillery began with shelling – within May 8-9, two thirds of the groups would be killed or imprisoned – also a Moroccan battalion + a French artillery battery + a tank platoon – close to Huguette 1, an operation to push the approaching Viet Minh After two months (February-April), the work was finished. – some 100 1er BEP legionnaires supported the two French companies – it was devided into three parts – Eliane 2 was seized by the Viet Minh, – Attack on Claudine 5 – Lieutenant Turcy would be killed, March 15, 1954: – Béatrice + Claudine + Dominique + Eliane + Huguette – considerably reduced by the previous battle – the radio of their Major was blocked and he didn’t check it out – they were true volunteers to support their comrades, – many volunteers jumped over Dien Bien Phu between March-May – nevertheless, the defenders wouldn’t survive the second assault – in the valley, most of them would celebrate their last Camerone Day, May 1, 1954: – Lieutenant De Stabenrath + Captain Brandon (ex-1er BEP) – a Tai battalion (BT2) – held by 1st Battalion, 2e REI legionnaires – at 11.00 PM (23:00), the radio went silent – the last evacuation of wounded soldiers from Dien Bien Phu In December 1953 the French army occupying Vietnam challenged the elusive Vietnamese army to engage in a decisive battle. Dien Bien Phu (DBP) plays a star role in Vietnam's modern history. – because of that, a decision to abandon Huguette 6 – Huguette 6 was seized by the Viet Minh, – during the evacuation, Lieutenant Francois was killed – the division attacking in the east of the camp became paralyzed – Langlais became the unofficial commander of Dien Bien Phu – the strongpoint located right opposite Eliane 4 – the severe battle took 36 hours without interruption – a holiday for legionnaires – about 350 Viet Minh men were killed – the platoon would assemble ten M24 Chaffee light tanks – then the Viet Minh launched a massive infantry assault, – a platoon of 2e CMMLE supported the 13e DBLE by mortar fire, – also a platoon of 1re CEPML supported the 3rd Battalion, 13e DBLE – in September 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared independence from France for Vietnam – Fall of Gabrielle Dien Bien Phu: the battle that split Vietnam Save 50% on a BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed subscription France’s catastrophic defeat at Dien Bien Phu in northwest Vietnam in May 1954 ended its hopes of maintaining any influence in Indochina and set the stage for … An online project dedicated to the famous Foreign Legion. We have reviews of the best places to see in Dien Bien Phu. – commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Gaucher (13e DBLE), – Southern Sector A conference of interested powers at Geneva that year ended the war by establishing what was intended as a temporary division of Vietnam into independent northern and southern states. – clashes between French forces and the Viet Minh started The valley had to serve as a French forward operating base to conduct operations in the region. Controlled Vietnam until loss at Dien Bien Phu 17th Parallel Where Vietnam is divided Ngo Dihn Diem Leader of South Vietnam +27 more terms. The French strong-points at Dien Bien Phu in northwest Vietnam are falling again. – the sector was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Trancart, – Central Sector – the war officially started, November 12, 1953: Thanh Bin. All rights reserved. – to supply the besieged French troops, it’s necessary to fight fiercely – east of the airstrip – he assumed personal responsibility and committed suicide Standing on the top of Hill A1 while listening to a tour-guide briefing about the 1954 campaign, ones may have a sense of attending the battlefield. This article by the late Bernard B. – later that night, it would be reinforced by 8e BPC paratroopers Him Lam. – Evacuation of Huguette 6 – Viet Minh suffered 20 men killed – a French parachute company jumped over Dien Bien Phu – it was surrounded by a web of Viet Minh trenches – supported by M24 tanks One of the Legion units had to fight until May 8. – to supply the strogpoint, it’s necessary to fight fiercely – over 100 Viet Minh rebels were killed, November 23 – December 15, 1953: – Minister of Defence Pleven visited the French troops in the valley – it was useful as a strong argument during the conference – Isabelle was seized by the Viet Minh, – in the meantime, the two groups were marching to the south – some 45,000 men – the commander of French artillery at Dien Bien Phu – 2e CMMLE left alone on Anne-Marie – Attack on Huguette 6 Dien Bien Phu Post Codes: Vietnam. – they were facing an entire Viet Minh regiment – 2e BEP jumped over Dien Bien Phu – new reinforcements – Sergeant Novak + 2 legionnaires When French paratroopers landed in the jungle on the border between Vietnam and Laos, the Vietnamese quickly isolated the French force and confronted them at their jungle base in a small place called Dien Bien Phu. – conducted by two regiments, aimed at Huguette 6 – it also protected the access to the two newer strongpoints – the rest of them were killed or imprisoned (just as Ltn Clerget) – they didn’t pass any training – the platoon (Ltn Bergot) suffered 12 men killed, – Lieutenant Colonel Jules Gaucher killed – in the evening, the Viet Minh launched their second offensive In northwest Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh forces decisively defeat the French at Dien Bien Phu, a French stronghold besieged by the Vietnamese communists for 57 days. – Huguette 5 was seized by the Viet Minh, – Lieutenant Boisbouvier was killed – his leadership would be seen as very poor, – Northern Sector – tanks of a squadron of the 1er RCC (French cavalry regiment) – this action ended the battles of the three Huguettes – placed at Claudine (a defensive position near the French HQ) – the French paratroopers repulsed the attack The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the decisive engagement in the first Indochina War (1946–54). – it suffered heavy casualties to seize the three Huguettes – they moved to Eliane 3 – an isolated outpost, completely independent a few weeks later – a large attack conducted by two Viet Minh divisions – another Legion battalion would reinforce the besieged camp – at least 55,000 Viet Minh troops participated in the battle – occupied by legionnaires from 2e REI Despite these early successes, Giap’s offensives sputtered out before the tenacious resistance of French paratroops and legionnaires. – the Viet Minh would isolate the strongpoint from support – over 70 legionnaires were wounded, February 19, 1954: – in the afternoon, Gabrielle was attacked by the Viet Minh Edited by Robert Cowley and Geoffrey Parker. Dien Bien Phu is found in the Muong Thanh Valley. – 2 legionnaires were also killed However, the monument was officially inaugurated as late as 1999, five years after its construction. – reinforced by a 5e BPVN company The battle is infamous as one of the largest, longest and bloodiest engagements in modern warfare: From August 1942 through February ...read more, On October 25, 1415, during the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) between England and France, Henry V (1386-1422), the young king of England, led his forces to victory at the Battle of Agincourt in northern France. – thereafter, a 2e BEP company (Captain Delafond, killed) – a new, small, auxiliary strongpoint – April 17, a decision to evacuate the strongpoint, April 6, 1954: – the platoon would maintain the vehicles and tanks used in the valley – that day, 5 legionnaires were killed + 33 wounded, February 1954: – the battle of Dien Bien Phu would begin at 05.30 PM (17:30), – Viet Minh troops were led by General Vo Nguyen Giap – Dominique 2 was quickly seized by the Viet Minh The outcome in Yorktown, Virginia marked the conclusion of ...read more, The Gallipoli Campaign of 1915-16, also known as the Battle of Gallipoli or the Dardanelles Campaign, was an unsuccessful attempt by the Allied Powers to control the sea route from Europe to Russia during World War I. – having faced an entire regiment, they managed to defend the strongpoint – an hour later, it launched new assaults – that day, BMEP was established An American reporter finds himself in the middle of the 57-day battle of Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam between the French army and the Vietminh, which finally resulted in the defeat and surrender of the French forces and France's eventual withdrawal from Vietnam. – the battle finished at 10.00 AM (10:00) in the morning – the 2e CMMLE survivors would join their company at Anne-Marie It was in the surrounding countryside here, on 7 May 1954, that the French colonial forces were defeated by the Viet Minh in a decisive battle, and the days of their Indochina empire became numbered. – between them, about 350 Legion artillerymen (3 coys) – Clashes near Huguette 4 – a day marking the 1863 Battle of Camerone – Ho Chi Minh led the Viet Minh (League for the Independence of Vietnam) – in the afternoon, the Viet Minh launched their first offensive – between them, many legionnaires, – more than 11,700 French troops were missed or imprisoned – the Viet Minh dug out a tunnel through the hill – 6 legionnaires were also killed + 20 legionnaires wounded, March 26, 1954: 380000. The “Rats of Nam Yum” became POWs when the garrison surrendered on May 7. – also a platoon of the 2e CMMLE (Ltn Clerget) – held by legionnaires from 1st Battalion, 13e DBLE + Moroccans (4e RTM) The Reader’s Companion to Military History. – the two strongpoints would resist only an hour – located north of the center, near the airstrip – about 1,500 men + local auxiliaries (logistics personnel), – on May 1, a fierce battle at the fifth outpost, near the airstrip – its HQ and strongpoints were destroyed – ex-Anne-Marie 3, placed at the end of the airstrip – in the evening, the Viet Minh launched their final offensive 1982 Mont Garbi Accident, The page was updated on: February 11, 2019. – new reinforcements – Major Maurice Giraud took command Many USAF surplus C-47’s war veterans were flown over from Korea to the next Communist threat in the Cold War, Vietnam. Rolf Rodel returned to Vietnam two years later, in 1994. – Major Coutant and his 13e DBLE legionnaires withdrew Dien Bien Phu (Điện Biên Phủ) is a small town in northwestern Vietnam.. View Set. – carried out by so-called Mobile Groups Foreign Legion in the Balkans: 1915-1919 – Bataillon de Marche Étranger de Parachutistes (BMEP)