May, 1950: DongKhe, the Beginning of the end of French Indochina

 The French Indochina War had been going on since 1946. By the spring of 1950, The French High Command was feeling very confident. The Communists of Mao in China did not cross the border; the Communists in Cochinchina had been virtually destroyed; and General Alessandri in Tonkin was preparing his planned offensive against the Viet Minh and their General Giap. But lurking in the jungle covered mountains of the region of the Chinese border that ran along Route Coloniale 4, General Giap had his surprise ready to spring. The first exposure to the new Viet Minh regulars had given the French a bloody nose at a small isolated French Post of Pholu earlier. But the French commanders refused to believe what they had seen. Trained VM regular soldiers with heavy equipment that even their famed paratroopers couldn't defeat. Concern may have risen in some officers' minds but not enough.

May 27-28, and it all exploded in the faces of the French. Giap had moved several battalions from their training camps in Red China, just across the border. Their plan was to destroy the French post at DongKhe on RC4. DongKhe was a very important French position, both physically and as a symbol. It had been the base from where numerous convoys to Cao Bang were formed. It was a large and supposedly strong position as well, known throughout Indochina. But the French had been struggling with maintaining the various bases along the narrow, deadly highway for months. Recently they gave up trying, pulling back from the smaller posts, but keeping Cao Bang (at the northern end), DongKhe, ThatKhe, and Langson. They would be suppled by air so that the French could maintain the 'closure" of the border area with Red China. 

There were two companies of Moroccan Tabors at DongKhe, dug in their bunkers and trenches at the bottom of a small valley surrounded by miles of jungle covered mountains. Giap had maneuvered five battalions against this post...

View from the south, with the subposts at 1) Pagoda in south (bottom), and 2) Nord 'Montmartre' in north on the large limestone outcropping, and 3) the Citadel (right edge)...

View from the north, across Nord. with the actual town seen at top edge...

View from the east with the Citadel at lower left, and the Partisan Quarters almost center with Nord to the right, and the post Airfield at top edge of photo...

View of Nord 'Montmartre' from the north, with Moroccans at their bunker, and Viet Minh at the northern base, preparing for their assault...

Looking over the Citadel towards the west...

View along the southern perimeter of DongKhe...

The Vehicle Park at the center of the base with the western perimeter beyond and the hospital in upper right...

The very important Bastion located at the NW corner of the Post...

The Partisans have taken up their positions just north of the Vehicle Park...

The opening VM artillery barrage is about to begin...