Defeat at Pho Lu

    Following the defeat of the premature attacks on the French post, 8-9 Feb, General Giap took the next few days to concentrate his 308th Division for an overwhelming assault. An entire regiment is drawn up within the cover of the jungle-covered slopes west and north of Pho Lu. Even with one battalion having lost about a third of its strength in those earlier attacks, the two new battalions meant the VM were deploying 8 companies to face down, the understrength company of Goumiers and platoon of Tai's partisans!
    The VM pounded the post with 82mm mortars (x3) and 57mm RR (x1) for an hour but it proved to be a bit disappointing. The only real effect was the destruction of the overhead cover of the eastern bunker! Well, this was their first real battle following training in China. The VM then launched all three battalions with x2 cos each. The Moroccans and Tai's laid down all the fire they could. (Missing two of their four automatic weapons destroyed earlier)

The French commander, a young lieutenant, did receive some good news...a company of the 3BCCP (some 115 paras of the 3 Colonial Parachute Btn), had been dropped to the west from their Toucan transports (originally German Ju-52s!). The VM commander thought initially, they might be bombers; however when a total of 6 flew by, it left him somewhat confused. (You can just make out the French post at the top of the photo)

During the second round as the VM sappers blew holes in the chevaux de frise, the Armee de l'Air made its appearance. A Spitfire Mark IX roared in, successfully dropping two 250lb bombs, and then raking VM troops with 20mm and MGs!

The VM by now had destroyed much of the barriers between them and the defenders, and in the NW bunker, they were already climbing up the steep slope to get at their enemies. But before the end of the round, the Armee de l'Air appeared again as two P-63 Kingcobras added more bombs, 37mm cannons and MGs! The heavy losses failed to slow down the VM assault:

A close up of the aircraft, and the VM assaulting the NW bunker (left-center):

With VM 82mm mortars, 57mm RR, MMGs, 60mm mortars, LMGs and rifles rifles raking the walls and the posts interior, the Goumiers still stand strong along the northern wall, although they only have one remaining moroccan left standing in the NW bunker. The Ta'is on the other hand have taken heavy losses on the west wall, only three remaining outside the SW bunker (although one has been shaken, shown with the yellow cap) .

During the succeeding rounds, the VM are now pouring into the post's interior and the defender's numbers are dwindling rapidly. By the time another Spitfire races by, it has no targets outside the post perimeter. To add make matters worse, the VM finally destroy the SW bunker along with the two remainder Ta'is inside.

And now making its belated appearance, the Paras of the 3 BCCP appear coming down a mountain trail to the SE of the post.

As two more Kingcobras make an appearance (and again, unfortunately for the French, with no recognizable targets), one remaining Goumier is left standing defending his position. (Spot him with the white tuban?) He charges and takes down his last VM.

As the VM take the post, (and the commander wisely leaves the Tricolor flag flying from its pole so the French won't bomb the post, the Paras reach the ford on the Red River only to realize the VM have left two additional battalions on the south bank to handle any possible reinforcements! Game over!

Tragically for the French, historically at this point, the Paras were hit by tremendous fire, killing their commanding officer and his exec almost immediately. Yet another young Lt (named Planey) found himself in command of a virtually hopeless situation. Retreat was the only option but could see masses of VM moving on each of his flanks to surround his command. In order to have a chance of saving any of his men, he was forced to leave behind his dead and wounded, Days later, after a grueling march through the jungle-covered mountains of the Ta'is region, he brought his men out safely to Lao Kay. However, High Command crucified him over his choice of leaving his men behind. He was unsuccessful to convince his superiors that the enemy were no longer the untrained guerrilla fighters, but men who maneuvered and fought as major units. 

"I never stopped telling my chiefs, 'The Viets aren't the same any longer: these are really tough ones,' but they never believed me. They said, 'Your nerve cracked.'"

The War in Indochina had entered a newer, more deadly phase!