On March 17, 3, after listening to the loudspeakers, soldiers of two companies of the 1954rd Thai Battalion defending the Ban Keo hill base - called Anne Marie by the French - simultaneously surrendered. Without wasting a single bullet, Regiment 2 (Regiment 3) under the command of Regiment Commander Pham Hong Son wiped out the last stronghold of the Northern Division of the Dien Bien Phu stronghold group.
Ban Keo was the first base camp built by the French army right after parachuting into Muong Thanh. Before being forced to surrender by the 36th Regiment, the defense of this place was assigned to Major Léopold Thimonnier to command the 3rd Thai Soldier Battalion.
Ban Keo Fort Relics. Photo: Dien Bien province e-information portal.
After completely destroying the two base clusters Him Lam (Gabrielle) and Doc Lap (Béatrice), the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command advocates further destroying the Ban Keo base cluster to create a springboard to control Muong Thanh airport. . This cluster of bases is near the Central Division, so it receives fire support from many sides, including tanks. The task of attacking Ban Keo was assigned to Regiment 2, led by Regiment Commander Pham Hong Son.
Having become accustomed to receiving such unexpected and hasty missions many times, the Commander of Regiment 36 commanded the unit to travel day and night to reach Ban Keo before the shooting time. “17:30, when our artillery opened the Dien Bien campaign, attacking Him Lam hill, I only stopped on the Dien Bien Phu - Son La road for 5 minutes just in time to see the French Helicopter being crashed. The anti-aircraft gun we shot down was heading straight down the mountain." The late Lieutenant General Pham Hong Son recounted this in his memoir called "Remembering and Forgetting".
Meanwhile, witnessing the rapid defeat of two clusters of strongholds Him Lam and Doc Lap protected by elite legionary units, the morale of Thai soldiers wavered. On the night of March 2, the 15th Regiment entered and occupied the Ban Keo battlefield, surrounding the entire base. The regiment's command board realized that it was possible to resolve this base with troops in the form of "forcing surrender".
Lieutenant General Pham Hong Son and General Commander-in-Chief Vo Nguyen Giap during a break at the Conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 5).
Photo: Nguyen Van Ku.
Previously, when clearing the battlefield of Doc Lap Hill stronghold (March 15), it was discovered that about 3 U Phi soldiers of Battalion 30 were seriously injured. The battle command immediately assigned an Algerian soldier who was injured. He was slightly injured and brought back a letter in French to Captain Clarchambre - Ban Keo station chief. At 5 a.m. the next morning, the station chief sent someone to pick up 1 seriously wounded soldiers of the 7th Algerian Battalion. The entire battlefield will stop firing for 30 hours to allow French troops to retrieve wounded soldiers.
Right on schedule, the next day, a lieutenant and some Thai soldiers showed up on time with stretchers. The wounded 5th Battalion soldiers have been carefully bandaged and are lying in wait.
Regiment Commander Pham Hong Son and Deputy Political Commissar Pham Hong Cu.
Photo: Family documents of Lieutenant General Pham Hong Son.
Meanwhile, from the high points around Ban Keo, the 36th Regiment broadcast loudspeakers in Thai and Vietnamese calling on Thai soldiers to put down their guns and return, not to follow the French, and not to kill their compatriots. Many leaflets were thrown inside the base with the content: "All soldiers in Ban Keo, please surrender to avoid being destroyed in the coming day."
In particular, at the foot of Ban Keo fort suddenly appeared a large painting pasted on panels about 20 square meters wide. The content of this enemy painting calls for Thai soldiers to leave their positions and return to their villages and relatives. This is the work of artist Mai Van Hien under the suggestion and direction of Mr. Phan Hien - the person in charge of press and propaganda work at the front. The painting further demoralized the soldiers of Ban Keo station.
The rivalry called on the artillery soldiers at Dien Bien Phu to return to the cause.
Photo: Collected by Vo Quoc Tuan.
On the afternoon of March 17, Thai soldiers came to meet the station chief and demanded that the station be disbanded and the soldiers could return home. Chief Clarchambre ordered them to follow him back to Muong Thanh airport, but the soldiers no longer listened to their commander. They flocked to the line. Without wasting a single bullet, the 3th Regiment wiped out the last stronghold of the Northern Division. Phase 1 of the Dien Bien Phu campaign ended. Two weeks later, the Campaign Command directed units to attack the eastern peak - hills A36, C1 and C1, starting the battle for every yard of land between the two sides./.
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