Dien Bien Phu order of battle

This is a list of units and commands that took part in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu during the First Indochina War, with the major commands that took part in operations.

Operational Group North-West (GONO)

Command

GroupCommanderMain units
Operational Group North-West
(GONO)
Colonel Christian de Castries
Group Mobile 6
(GM 6)
Lieutenant Colonel André Lalande3/3 REI
2/1 RTA
5/7 RTA
Group Mobile 9
(GM 9)
Lieutenant Colonel Jules Gaucher1/13 DBLE
3/13 DBLE
1/2 REI
3/3 RTA
2nd Airborne Brigade
(GAP 2)
Lieutenant Colonel Pierre Langlais1 BEP
8 BPC
5 BPVN
ArtilleryColonel Charles Piroth

Infantry

UnitCommanderPosition
1st Battalion/13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade
(1/13 DBLE)
Major de Brinon/Major Robert CoutantClaudine
3rd Battalion/13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade
(3/13 DBLE)
Major Paul PégotBéatrice
1st Battalion/2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment
(1/2 REI)
Major ClémençonHuguette
3rd Battalion/3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment
(3/3 REI)
Major Henri Grand d'EsnonIsabelle
2nd Battalion/1st Algerian Rifle Regiment
(2/1 RTA)
Capitaine Jean Sallot des Noyers; Capitaine Pierre JeancenelleIsabelle
3rd Battalion/3rd Algerian Rifle Regiment
(3/3 RTA)
Capitaine Jean GarandeauDominique
5th Battalion/7th Algerian Rifle Regiment
(5/7 RTA)
Major Roland de MecquenemGabrielle
1st Battalion/4th Moroccan Rifle Regiment
(1/4 RTM)
Major Jean NicolasEliane
2nd Thai Battalion
(BT 2)
Major Maurice ChenelEliane
3rd Thai Battalion
(BT 3)
Major Léopold ThimonnierAnne-Marie

Parachute Infantry

UnitCommander
1st Foreign Parachute Battalion
(1st BEP)
Major Maurice Guiraud
2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion
(2nd BEP)
Major Hubert Liesenfelt
1st Colonial Parachute Battalion
(1st BPC)
Capitaine Guy Bazin de Bezon
6th Colonial Parachute Battalion
(6th BPC)
Major Marcel Bigeard
8th Shock Parachute Battalion
(8th BPC)
Major Pierre Tourret
5th Vietnamese Parachute Battalion
(5th BPVN)
Capitaine André Botella
2nd Battalion/1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment
(II/1RCP)
Major Jean Bréchignac

Armoured Cavalry

UnitCommanderTankPosition
3rd Squadron/1st Light Horse Regiment
(3/1 RCC)
Capitaine Yves HervouëtM24 Chaffee (x10)Claudine
Isabelle

Artillery

UnitCommander-Position
2nd Group/4th Colonial Artillery Regiment
(II/4 RAC)
Major Guy KnechtHM2 105mm howitzer (x12)Dominique
3rd Group/10th Colonial Artillery Regiment
(III/10 RAC)
Major AlliouHM2 105mm howitzer (x12)Isabelle
Claudine
11th Battery/4th Group/4th Colonial Artillery Regiment
(11/IV/4 RAC)
Capitaine DéalHM1 155mm howitzer (x4)Claudine
Platoon/1st Colonial Far East Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group
(I GAACEO)
Lieutenant Paul RedonQuad-50 M2 0.50cal MG (x4)Epervier
1st Foreign Composite Heavy Mortar Company
(1 CMMLE)
Lieutenant René Colcy120mm mortar (x8)Claudine
2nd Foreign Composite Heavy Mortar Company
(2 CMMLE)
Lieutenant Fetter120mm mortar (x8)Gabrielle
Anne-Marie
1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company
(1 CEPML)
Lieutenant Paul Turcy120mm mortar (x12)Claudine
Dominique

Engineers

UnitCommander
31st Engineer Battalion
(31 BG)
Major André Sudrat/Major Maurice Durieux

Service Units

UnitCommander
2nd Company/822nd Signals Battalion
(2/822 BT)
2nd Company/823rd Signals Battalion
(2/823 BT)
342nd Parachute Signals Company
(342 CPT)
2nd Platoon/5th Foreign Legion Medium Repair Company
(2/5 CRMLE)
Lieutenant Bugeat
3rd Ammunition Resupply Company (detachment)
(3 CM)
Sous Lieutenant Léonard
730th Fuel Resupply Company (detachment)
(730 CR)
712th Traffic Company
(712 CCR)
3rd General Staff Transport Company
(3 CTQG)
1st Exploitation Group (Quartermaster Corps)
(GEO 1)
3rd Marching Battalion/Republican Guard Mobile Gendarmerie (detachment)
(3 LM/GRGM)
403rd Military Post Office
(403 BPM)

Medical Service Units

UnitCommander
29th Mobile Surgical Team
(ACM 29)
Major Paul Grauwin
44th Mobile Surgical Team
(ACM 44)
Lieutenant Jacques Gindrey
3rd Parachute Surgical Team
(ACP 3)
Lieutenant Louis Résillot
5th Parachute Surgical Team
(ACP 5)
Capitaine Ernest Hantz
6th Parachute Surgical Team
(ACP 6)
Lieutenant Jean Vidal

Intelligence

UnitCommander
8th Commando Group/Mixed Intervention Group
(GC 8/GMI)
Capitaine Hébert
Operations-Patrols Detachment
(DOP)

Air Force

UnitCommanderAircraft
Airfield Control Post 'Torri Rouge'
(PCIA)
Major Jacques Guérin
Fighter Squadron 1/22 'Saintonge'Capitaine Claude PayenF8F-1 Bearcat (x6)
21st Artillery Air Observation Squadron
(GAOA 21)
Lieutenant AsselineauMS-500 Criquet
1st Light Medical Evacuation Company
(1 CLES)
Sikorsky H-19 S-55
21/374th Air Force Signals Company
(CT 21/374)
195th Air Base Detachment
(DB 195)
Air Force Marching CompanyCapitaine Jean Charnod

Air Units Support

Air Force

UnitAircraftBase
Fighter Squadron 2/22 'Languedoc'F8F-1 BearcatHaiphong (Cat Bi)
Bomber Squadron 1/19 'Gascogne'B-26 InvaderHaiphong (Cat Bi)
Bomber Squadron 1/25 'Tunisie'B-26 InvaderHaiphong (Cat Bi)
Transport Squadron 2/62 'Franche-Comté'Dakota DC-3Hanoi (Bach Mai Airfield)
Transport Squadron 2/63 'Sénégal'Dakota DC-3Hanoi (Gia Lam)
Transport Squadron 1/64 'Béarn'Dakota DC-3Hanoi (Gia Lam)
Transport Squadron 2/64 'Anjou'Dakota DC-3Hanoi (Bach Mai)
23rd Artillery Air Observation Squadron
(GAOA 23)
MS-500 CriquetMuong Sai
80th Overseas Reconnaissance Squadron
(EROM 80)
RF-8F Bearcat (reco)
B-26C Invader (reco)
Hanoi (Bach Mai)
52nd Air Liaison Squadron
(ELA 52)
Sikorsky H-19 S-55Biên Hòa
53rd Air Liaison Squadron
(ELA 53)
Sikorsky H-19 S-55Hanoi (Gia Lam)
A US-built F4U-7 Corsair of the 14.F flotilla at Airexpo 2007.
UnitAircraftBase
3rd Carrier Attack Squadron
(3F)
SB2C-5 HelldiverCarrier Arromanches (Tourane)
Hanoi (Bach Mai)
11th Carrier Fighter Squadron
(11F)
F6F-5 HellcatCarrier Arromanches (Tourane)
Hai Phong (Cat Bi)
14th Carrier Fighter Squadron
(14F)
F4U-7 Corsair
AU-1 Corsair
Carrier Bois Belleau (Halong Bay)
Hanoi (Bach Mai)
28th Bomber Squadron
(28F)
PB4Y PrivateerHai Phong (Cat Bi)

U.S. Central Intelligence Agency

France-marked USAF CAT-flown C-119 over Dien Ben Phu.
UnitAircraftBasePilots
Civil Air Transport
(CAT)
Dakota DC-3
C-119 Flying Boxcar
Hai Phong (Cat Bi)37

Việt Minh

Command

CommanderPosition
Vietnam People's Army
(VPA)
General Võ Nguyên GiápMuong Phang

Infantry

UnitCommanderNotes
Division 304 (less)
Title: Vinh Quang (Glory)
Codename: 'Nam Định'
Commissar Le Chuong
Chief of Staff: Nam Long
Infantry regiment 9 Tran Thanh Tu Infantry battalions 353, 375, 400
Infantry regiment 57 Nguyen Can Infantry battalions 265, 346, 418
Division 308
Title: Quan Tien Phong (Vanguard)
Codename: 'Việt Bắc'
Colonel Vuong Thua Vu
Commissar Song Hao
Infantry regiment 36
Title: Bac Bac
Alias: Sa Pa
Pham Hong Son Infantry battalions 80, 84, 89
Infantry regiment 88
Title: Tu Vu
Alias: Tam Dao
Nam Ha Infantry battalions 22, 29, 322
Infantry regiment 102
Title: Thu Do (Capital)
Alias: Ba Vi
Nguyen Hung Sinh Infantry battalions 18, 59, 79
Division 312
Title: Chien Thang (Victory)
Codename: 'Bến Tre'
Colonel Lê Trọng Tấn
Commissar Tran Do
Infantry regiment 141
Title: Ba Vi
Quang Tuyen Infantry battalions 11, 16, 428
Infantry regiment 165
Title: Lao Ha Yen, Thanh Dong Bien Gioi
Alias: Dong Trieu
Le Thuy Infantry battalions 115, 542, 564
Infantry regiment 209
Title: Song Lo
Hoang Cam Infantry battalions 130, 154, 166
Division 316
Alias: Biên Hòa
Colonel Le Quang Ba
Commissar Chu Huy Man
Infantry regiment 98 Vu Lang Infantry battalions 215, 439, 938
Infantry regiment 174
Title: Cao Bac Lang
Alias: Sóc Trăng
Nguyễn Hữu An Infantry battalions 249, 251, 255
Infantry regiment 176 Infantry battalions 888, 910, 999

Artillery

UnitCommanderNotes
Artillery-Engineer Division 351
Alias:Long Chau
Dao Van Truong
Commissar Pham Ngoc Mau
Artillery Regiment 45
Title:Tat Thang (Inevitable Victory)
Nguyen Huu My 24 M101 105mm howitzers
632nd artillery battalion (12 M101 105mm howitzers)
954th artillery battalion (12 M101 105mm howitzers)
Artillery Regiment 675
Title:Anh Dung (Valiant)
Doan Tue 20 Type-41 75mm mountain guns
16 M1938 120mm mortars
175th mountain gun battalion
275th mountain gun battalion
83rd mortar battalion
AAA Regiment 367 (less) Le Van Tri 2 AAA battalions (12 M1939 37mm AA guns each)
Heavy Weapon Regiment 237 Mortar battalion 413(54 M-37 82mm mortars)
H6 rocket battalion (12 Chinese six-barrel 75mm H6 rocket launchers)
75mm recoilless gun battalion
Engineer Regiment 151 Pham Hoang

References

  • Bergot, Erwan. Les 170 jours de Dien Bien Phu. Presses de la Cité, 1979
  • Brancion, Henri de. Dien Bien Phu: Artilleurs dans la fournaise. Presses de la Cité, 1993
  • Bruge, Roger. Les hommes de Dien Bien Phu. Perrin, 1999
  • Fall, Bernard. Hell in a very small place. Lippincott, 1967
  • Rocolle, Pierre. Pourquoi Dien Bien Phu. Flammarion, 1968
  • Windrow, Martin. The last valley. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2004
  • Võ, Nguyên Giáp. "Tổng tập hồi ký". Nhà xuất bản Quân Đội Nhân Dân, 2006
    (Vo, Nguyen Giap. "Memoirs Collection". People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2006)
  • "Lịch sử Bộ Tổng tham mưu trong kháng chiến chống thực dân Pháp 1945–1954". Nhà xuất bản Quân Đội Nhân Dân, 1991
    ("History of the General Staff in the Resistance War against French Colonialists 1945–1954". People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 1991)
  • "Đại đoàn Quân Tiên Phong". Nhà xuất bản Quân Đội Nhân Dân, 1966.
    (The "Vanguard" Division. People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 1966)
  • "Sư đoàn 304 – Tập 1: 1950–1954". Nhà xuất bản Quân đội Nhân dân, 1980
    ("The 304th Division – Volume 1 (1950–1954)". People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 1980)
  • "Lịch sử sư đoàn bộ binh 312 1950–2000". Nhà xuất bản Quân đội Nhân dân, 2001.
    ("History of the 312th Infantry Division 1950–2000". People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2001)
  • "Sư đoàn 316 – Tập 1: 1951–1954". Nhà xuất bản Quân đội Nhân dân, 1981
    ("The 316th division – Volume 1 (1951–1954)". People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 1981)
  • "Pháo binh nhân dân Việt Nam: Những chặng đường chiến đấu". Nhà xuất bản Quân đội Nhân dân, 1982
    ("Vietnamese People's Artillery: Tracks of Combat". People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 1982)
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