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.
Group | Commander | Main units |
---|---|---|
Operational Group North-West (GONO) | Colonel Christian de Castries | |
Group Mobile 6 (GM 6) | Lieutenant Colonel André Lalande | 3/3 REI 2/1 RTA 5/7 RTA |
Group Mobile 9 (GM 9) | Lieutenant Colonel Jules Gaucher | 1/13 DBLE 3/13 DBLE 1/2 REI 3/3 RTA |
2nd Airborne Brigade (GAP 2) | Lieutenant Colonel Pierre Langlais | 1 BEP 8 BPC 5 BPVN |
Artillery | Colonel Charles Piroth | |
Unit | Commander | Position |
---|---|---|
1st Battalion/13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade (1/13 DBLE) | Major de Brinon/Major Robert Coutant | Claudine |
3rd Battalion/13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade (3/13 DBLE) | Major Paul Pégot | Béatrice |
1st Battalion/2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (1/2 REI) | Major Clémençon | Huguette |
3rd Battalion/3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3/3 REI) | Major Henri Grand d'Esnon | Isabelle |
2nd Battalion/1st Algerian Rifle Regiment (2/1 RTA) | Capitaine Jean Sallot des Noyers; Capitaine Pierre Jeancenelle | Isabelle |
3rd Battalion/3rd Algerian Rifle Regiment (3/3 RTA) | Capitaine Jean Garandeau | Dominique |
5th Battalion/7th Algerian Rifle Regiment (5/7 RTA) | Major Roland de Mecquenem | Gabrielle |
1st Battalion/4th Moroccan Rifle Regiment (1/4 RTM) | Major Jean Nicolas | Eliane |
2nd Tai Battalion (BT 2) | Major Maurice Chenel | Eliane |
3rd Tai Battalion (BT 3) | Major Léopold Thimonnier | Anne-Marie |
Unit | Commander |
---|---|
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 |
Unit | Commander | Tank | Position |
---|---|---|---|
3rd Squadron/1st Light Horse Regiment (3/1 RCC) | Capitaine Yves Hervouët | M24 Chaffee (x10) | Claudine Isabelle |
Unit | Commander | - | Position |
---|---|---|---|
2nd Group/4th Colonial Artillery Regiment (II/4 RAC) | Major Guy Knecht | HM2 105 mm howitzer (x12) | Dominique |
3rd Group/10th Colonial Artillery Regiment (III/10 RAC) | Major Alliou | HM2 105 mm howitzer (x12) | Isabelle Claudine |
11th Battery/4th Group/4th Colonial Artillery Regiment (11/IV/4 RAC) | Capitaine Déal | HM1 155 mm howitzer (x4) | Claudine |
Platoon/1st Colonial Far East Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group (I GAACEO) | Lieutenant Paul Redon | Quad-50 M2 0.50cal MG (x4) | Epervier |
1st Foreign Composite Heavy Mortar Company (1 CMMLE) | Lieutenant René Colcy | 120 mm mortar (x8) | Claudine |
2nd Foreign Composite Heavy Mortar Company (2 CMMLE) | Lieutenant Fetter | 120 mm mortar (x8) | Gabrielle Anne-Marie |
1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company (1 CEPML) | Lieutenant Paul Turcy | 120 mm mortar (x12) | Claudine Dominique |
Unit | Commander |
---|---|
31st Engineer Battalion (31 BG) | Major André Sudrat/Major Maurice Durieux |
Unit | Commander |
---|---|
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) | – |
Unit | Commander |
---|---|
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 |
Unit | Commander |
---|---|
8th Commando Group/Mixed Intervention Group (GC 8/GMI) | Capitaine Hébert |
Operations-Patrols Detachment (DOP) | – |
Unit | Commander | Aircraft |
---|---|---|
Airfield Control Post 'Torri Rouge' (PCIA) | Major Jacques Guérin | |
Fighter Squadron 1/22 'Saintonge' | Capitaine Claude Payen | F8F-1 Bearcat (x6) |
21st Artillery Air Observation Squadron (GAOA 21) | Lieutenant Asselineau | MS-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 Company | Capitaine Jean Charnod | |
Unit | Aircraft | Base |
---|---|---|
Fighter Squadron 2/22 'Languedoc' | F8F-1 Bearcat | Haiphong (Cat Bi) |
Bomber Squadron 1/19 'Gascogne' | B-26 Invader | Haiphong (Cat Bi) |
Bomber Squadron 1/25 'Tunisie' | B-26 Invader | Haiphong (Cat Bi) |
Transport Squadron 2/62 'Franche-Comté' | Dakota DC-3 | Hanoi (Bach Mai Airfield) |
Transport Squadron 2/63 'Sénégal' | Dakota DC-3 | Hanoi (Gia Lam) |
Transport Squadron 1/64 'Béarn' | Dakota DC-3 | Hanoi (Gia Lam) |
Transport Squadron 2/64 'Anjou' | Dakota DC-3 | Hanoi (Bach Mai) |
23rd Artillery Air Observation Squadron (GAOA 23) | MS-500 Criquet | Muong 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-55 | Biên Hòa |
53rd Air Liaison Squadron (ELA 53) | Sikorsky H-19 S-55 | Hanoi (Gia Lam) |
Unit | Aircraft | Base |
---|---|---|
3rd Carrier Attack Squadron (3F) | SB2C-5 Helldiver | Carrier Arromanches (Tourane) Hanoi (Bach Mai) |
11th Carrier Fighter Squadron (11F) | F6F-5 Hellcat | Carrier 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 Privateer | Hai Phong (Cat Bi) |
Unit | Aircraft | Base | Pilots |
---|---|---|---|
Civil Air Transport (CAT) | Dakota DC-3 C-119 Flying Boxcar | Hai Phong (Cat Bi) | 37 |
Commander | Position | |
---|---|---|
Vietnam People's Army (VPA) | General Võ Nguyên Giáp | Muong Phang |
Unit | Commander | Notes |
---|---|---|
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 |
Unit | Commander | Notes |
---|---|---|
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 75 mm H6 rocket launchers) 75 mm recoilless gun battalion | |
Engineer Regiment 151 | Pham Hoang |
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This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations .(December 2014) |