The VM at the Bastion breakthrough get their big break(s). They draw the Charismatic Leader and Company Commander Cards which allows them to Activate all units and all units in one company. This is used to batter the Partisans, and make major moves on the dug-in tribesmen...
Closeup of the Partisans, and its looking bleak with one tribesmen not KIA or Shaken (Yellow Pin)...
At the citadel, VM fire has gravely affected the Moroccans here, at least for now...
With another timely Activation, the VM also advance on the southern perimeter. The Hospital is overrun...
And worse for the French, the Viets have now made it to the Partisan entrenchments!
Despite taking severe losses from the Partisans, the support company is getting closer. And with the Viets reaching the southern portion of this position, the Partisans may be in serious trouble. Note as well, one of the Moroccans on the Citadel (upper left) has gone down as well...
To make matters worse, another VM support company has now breached the wire...
Some Moroccan reinforcements have reached the western slope of the Citadel (center bottom) while the counterattacking platoon (upper left) is making its slow advance...
Near the Bastion, the Viets captured a Shaken Moroccan while unsuccessfully close assaulting another (red cap) further down the trench...
Yet mlre VM troops arrive north of the Citadel...
The small unit of Moroccans has finally arrived at the Citadel, while the counterattacking platoon can be seen near top of photo. They are not yet aware of the breakthrough at the Bastion however...
Along the western perimeter, the VM made progress while dispatching three Moroccans...
Surviving Partisans are ordered to retreat to the Citadel by the last French NCO (who is at far left edge of entrenchment). The lone LMG who is Pined and has had numerous brushes with death in the collapsed bunker (center right surrounded by exploding shells!), still holds the position...
At the Citadel, the Viet sapper (center right) pushes his charges under the wire...and it fails to go off!
The Viets continue to push south along the western perimeter, but take casualties (upper right)...
The last Partisans holding their positions (inc the NCO and the LMG) fall to overwhelming VM fire as the last survivors flee towards the Citadel...
At the Citadel. and with the Moroccan fire that misses everything (!) the VM sapper succeeds in blowing a gap in the wire, which his compatriots quickly take advantage of. Their fire is devastating as two Moroccans go down...
The French commander puts a call to his troops holding the southern edge, to send him the one remaining MMG to rush to the Citadel. The few remaining Moroccans there are to hold for a possible breakout to the south if necessary. Time is running out for the French at DongKhe...
On the western perimeter, the Viets keeping up the pressure...
The few Partisans really never had much of a chance reaching the Citadel (only one left and he is Shaken)...
Even on the Citadel, things are beginning to look hopeless, as some of the Moroccans are falling back, leaving the LMG as rear guard. There are simply too many Viets pouring through...
Western perimeter the Moroccan lose a man and the LMG...
On the Citadel it is an exact duplicate result, one Moroccan and their LMG are lost. The last Partisan goes down as well. The French commander now realizes it is hopeless and tries to order to withdrawal from DongKhe...but the radio connection doesn't go thru!
With communication lost (at least temporarily), the Moroccans from the south continue on towards the Citadel...
On the western Perimeter, the Moroccans still hold...barely...
The French counterattack (?) is dealt a crippling blow, as the French Company Commander goes down. This will cause the leaderless Moroccans to stay in place. However, this is more than likely a blessing in disguise as they were heading towards a confrontation with overwhelming numbers. The MMG has set up to cover the withdrawal...
On Citadel, the withdrawal is in full swing, as the post commander is close to exiting the hill (left). Two remaining Moroccans act as rear guard...
The Moroccans on the western perimeter have now learned of the withdrawal, but lose one and a second is Shaken (if he doesn't get activated first, he will become PIM)...
Two courageous Moroccans attempt to stem the Viet onslaught (one is rushed but survives the first clash-center) as the Commander now opens the wire to escape (left)...
More VM pour in by the Bastion...
Viet and Moroccan still fight in the western perimeter...
The Moroccan platoon that failed to counterattack, has safely regained the French trenches on the southern perimeter..
A Moroccan loses his fight as one remaining Moroccan holds out in the trenches of the Citadel (upper right)...
The last VM troops enter DongKhe, not necessary as it turns out. Five Viet companies were enough against 2 Moroccan...
The VM rush up against the Moroccans on the western perimeter, but it costs them. Perhaps, here the few French troops will make their get away...
The Moroccans moving through their own wire to escape...
With the luck of numerous activations, the French commander (even with a lightly wounded Moroccan) and others appear to have made their escape as well. (A failed sapper charge (!) and the MMG laying down fire had something to do with that)...
The Moroccans on the western perimeter finished off two more Viets and would eventually make their way out of the fight...
The Moroccan MMG finished off the sapper after his second unsuccessful attempt at setting his charge (!) and that ended the pursuit in that area...
And so after 3hours and 20 minutes of struggle DongKhe had fallen. From the little we know from the handful of survivors, this game went pretty much to story. 24 Moroccans escaped in our recreation or about 120 men. All 22 Partisans and 41 Moroccans were lost, numbering some 315 men. Viet Minh casualties historically are unknown but for our game the total came to 85 figures or some 425. The next day, the French would parachute the 3BCCP (Colonial Parachute Battalion) directly west of the strongpoint, and after some fighting retook the post. It was rebuilt stronger, and two companies of Foreign Legionaires would take their place here. Then in Sept, Giap launched his full scale offensive which would see the permanent loss of the base, along with another 7 battalions of Legionaires, Moroccans, and Paratroopers. It would lead to the French losing all their bases along RC4, resulting in the greatest disaster of the war. But thats another story...
