Also on this day, the Geneva Conference on a political solution to Korea opened in Geneva (Switzerland). At this time, the site of Dien Bien Phu with its fierce fire and smoke was the center of attention of the whole world.
Cut off air bridges, block enemy supply and reinforcement routes
“From March 25, 1954, enemy planes could no longer take off and land at Muong Thanh airport. The enemy garrison in Dien Bien Phu had more than ten thousand soldiers. Every day they needed 120 tons of supplies, including guns, ammunition, food and medicine. The enemy’s only supply route was by parachute. General Navarre (Nava) had to mobilize two-thirds of the French fighter planes and transport planes in Indochina, with supplies reaching 10,000 tons/month and asked for help from the US imperialists.
The US imperialists helped the French by organizing an airlift using Packet (C119) medium-sized transport aircraft, including 29 aircraft commanded by US General Claire Senno. This transport aircraft fleet of the US imperialists only flew 540 flights, carrying 3,200 tons of goods to Dien Bien Phu. Parachutes dropped by plane could not be recovered. The US imperialists helped the French colonialists by sending artificial silk parachutes produced by Japan and helping the French colonialists build a parachute factory. Neither the French colonialists nor the US imperialists expected that supplying Dien Bien Phu would be so difficult.
Grasping the enemy's weak points, the Campaign Command assigned the air defense troops the task of "in addition to supporting the infantry and artillery attacks, encircling the air routes, narrowing the enemy's airspace, actively controlling and cutting off their air supply and reinforcement bridges". (1)
“Since mid-April 1954, our army’s anti-aircraft guns had spread a net of fire across the sky of Dien Bien. Whenever an enemy plane appeared, it was immediately surrounded by a net of fire. Panicked, the American pilots flying C119 transport planes supplying Dien Bien Phu demanded protection. So every time a transport plane flown by the Americans arrived, four or six support fighter planes had to circle the sky, risking their lives to dive down on our army’s 37mm anti-aircraft guns.” (2).
“On April 19, 1954, Company 677, Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun Battalion 536 (Division 316) shot down on the spot a C119 twin-fuselage transport plane piloted by an American pilot. The fire net encirclement in the sky of Dien Bien Phu was increasingly tightened by our troops. Enemy planes did not dare to fly low to drop parachutes, they had to fly at an altitude of 3,000 meters. The enemy's parachutes were not dropped accurately, and many flew into our positions. Our troops used firepower to prevent the enemy from picking up the parachutes to cut off the supply route, while actively fighting for their supply sources, taking food and ammunition from the enemy to supplement some of our troops. Our troops captured 5,000 105mm artillery shells alone, equal to a quarter of the ammunition consumed in Dien Bien Phu. On the night of April 22, 1954, Division 308 captured 1,000 81mm mortar shells made in the US. There were nights when our troops We also captured more than 100 tons of various goods dropped by the enemy. A pair of major general's badges and 200 bottles of cognac sent by General Navarre to congratulate General De Castries on his promotion to major general also fell into our hands. Letters and gifts from De Castries' wife to her husband also fell into the hands of soldiers of Company 834, Regiment 367". (3)
“Our encirclement gradually narrowed, and the enemy's supply and reinforcement became extremely difficult. The American pilots who did this job were considered brave, but they could not meet the requirements, having to fly low to drop parachutes in a small, narrow airspace with anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft guns waiting.” (4)
“In the last days of April 1954, the French Air Force had only one relatively safe flight path, which was from the South along the Nam Rom River, parachuting supplies to the Central Sector. To cut off this enemy flight path, the 816th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Company was ordered to move from Muong Thanh to attack the enemy in Hong Cum.
On April 26, 1954, 50 enemy planes were hit and three were shot down by our troops on the Dien Bien Phu battlefield, including a B26 and two Helcats of the 11th fleet, piloted by American pilots. That same night, Hanoi promised to send 80 reinforcements to the French troops in Dien Bien Phu, but only parachuted 36 people; promised to drop 150 tons of supplies, but only dropped 91 tons, with 34 percent falling into the hands of our troops.
The first pilot captured alive by our army at Dien Bien Phu was Lieutenant Robe Daniel, who flew a Biacat plane from the South, following the Nam Rom River to parachute supplies to the central area. This plane was shot down by Company 816 on April 26, 1954. Company 816 was awarded the Third Class Military Exploit Medal. The movement of shooting down enemy planes on the spot and capturing enemy pilots developed in air defense units.
On the same day, April 26, 1954, at the Pa Luong battlefield, Company 829, Battalion 394, shot down a B26 aircraft. At the Khe Chot battlefield, Company 817 shot down a B26 aircraft, capturing two pilots. This was one of the most resounding victories of the Air Defense troops at the Dien Bien Phu front. The enemy's air force activities not only failed to crush our troops but also failed to expand our encirclement around the stronghold, and failed to maintain airlifts to supply the enemy troops at Dien Bien Phu". (5)
* On the same day, April 26, 1954, General Candira returned to Saigon. General Candira mentioned using 80 bombers around Dien Bien Phu valley and Tuan Giao logistics area, with combined American and French crews. The operation was carried out in 62 hours and a senior officer flew from Saigon to Clark Field base (Clác Phin) to prepare. In essence, this was still the "Hawk Plan", named Vautour (Vôtua), proposed by the US imperialists to assist the French army at Dien Bien Phu. The French hoped again". (6)
Geneva Conference on a Political Solution in Korea Opens
On April 26, 1954, the Geneva Conference on a political solution in Korea opened in Geneva (Switzerland). At this time, the site of Dien Bien Phu with its fierce fire and smoke was the center of attention of the whole world. This was also the time when our army and people were preparing to successfully end the 2nd phase of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign; while the French army in the stronghold was in a dangerous situation. However, up to this point, Western countries had not yet accepted the participation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in the Conference.
“On April 26, 1954, the delegations gathered in Geneva. The Geneva Conference discussed the war in Korea and Indochina. There was a ceasefire on the Korean peninsula, but no peace agreement had been reached. This issue would not be easy to resolve. The attention of the great powers was focused on the heated war situation in Indochina.
Comrade Pham Van Dong, Head of the negotiating delegation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam at the Fontainebleau Conference 9 years ago, as Deputy Prime Minister, was preparing to leave for Geneva.
At the end of April 1954, at a small house in the middle of the Viet Bac mountains and forests, Uncle Ho received an interview with Australian journalist Burchett (Bócsét). Journalist Burchett asked about Dien Bien Phu. Uncle turned his hat upside down on a bamboo table, ran his fingers around the brim of the hat, and said: "This is the forest and mountains, where our forces are located". Then Uncle Ho clenched his fist, punched the inside of his hat, and continued: "And here are the French troops. They cannot escape from this place!" (7)
The Dien Bien Phu victory has immense value for the revolutions of the three countries Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia.
During the long and arduous resistance war against colonialism, the Vietnamese people always received strong support from Laos and Cambodia. Therefore, the Dien Bien Phu victory was not only a victory of the Vietnamese army and people, but also had an extremely great influence and value on the common resistance war of the three countries of Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia. That was the assessment of Lao Prime Minister Souphanouvong published in the People's Army Newspaper on April 26, 1954 and the content was quoted in the telegram of the Khmer National United Front sent to Vietnamese cadres and soldiers at the Dien Bien Phu front in April 1954.
In a speech published in the People's Army Newspaper, Prime Minister Souphanouvong, on behalf of the entire Lao army and people, sent greetings and warm welcome to the victory of the Vietnamese army and people at the Dien Bien Phu front. The Lao army is extremely excited and confident in your victory, considering it as their own victory.
Prime Minister Souphanouvong emphasized that “The Dien Bien Phu victory has had an extremely great influence and value on the common resistance of the three countries of Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia and on the current movement to protect world peace”. According to comrade Souphanouvong, the Dien Bien Phu victory created more favorable conditions for the Lao army and people to develop their victories, consolidate the liberated zone, promote guerrilla warfare, and advance all the way. Not only that, the liberated Dien Bien Phu will completely open the border between Upper Laos and Northern Vietnam, making the solidarity between Vietnam and Laos even closer.
Prime Minister Souphanouvong believes that, under the wise leadership of the Vietnam Workers' Party and President Ho Chi Minh, along with the unparalleled brave fighting spirit, the Vietnamese army and people will definitely win and fulfill their mission of destroying all enemy troops at Dien Bien Phu.
Prime Minister Souphanouvong affirmed that the Lao people and country follow your heroic battles every day and every hour, and are willing to strive to learn from you. He promised to closely coordinate with you in this fight by making efforts to strengthen all aspects of activities, develop strong guerrilla warfare, actively build armed forces, and make efforts to train cadres.
Meanwhile, for the Cambodian people, the Khmer National United Front sent a telegram to Vietnamese cadres and soldiers at the Dien Bien Phu front in April 1954. The telegram emphasized: "The Khmer people are very excited to hear the news of the consecutive victories of their brothers at the Dien Bien Phu front. The Khmer people always follow every hour and every minute with firm belief in the final victory of their brothers."
The telegram affirmed: “The victory of our brothers at the Dien Bien Phu front not only destroyed the enemy’s forces but also had a great influence on our Khmer battlefield…”. With the bravery, sacrifice and fighting spirit of our brothers, under the wise leadership of President Ho Chi Minh, the Khmer people firmly believe that the Vietnamese army and people will gain even greater victories at the Dien Bien Phu front.
[Source: VNA;
(1); (3) Dien Bien Phu: The Eternal Epic, People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2024, pp. 82, 83; 83, 84;
(2) Dien Bien Phu Victory in 1954: From a Foreigner's Perspective, People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2024, p. 140;
(4); (6); (7) General Vo Nguyen Giap: Complete Memoirs, People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2018, pp. 1076; 1074; 1077;
(5) The Story of Dien Bien Phu Victory, People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2024, volume 1, pp. 175, 176].
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