April 14, 1954: Vietnamese soldiers' trenches gradually move closer to central area

ABO/NDO- On the morning of April 14, 1954, the first enemy group patrolling the airport, the Muong Thanh field suddenly noticed that the trenches in the west had cut off communication between Huguette 1 (206th fortress) and Huguette 6 (105th fortress) and the central area. Another trench ran straight into Muong Thanh Airport. At noon, the sixth and eighth parachute units tried to open the way to Huguette 1, but were stopped by newly laid minefields and Vietnamese mortar rounds.

At 1:30 PM the same day, De Castries called Cogny to say: “1. The fate of G.O.N.O will be decided before May 10 (...). 2. The developing battlefield threatens Huguette 1 and Huguette 6. The attempt conducted this morning to relieve Huguette 1 encountered many minefields between Huguette 1, Huguette 3, and Huguette 5 as well as mortar and artillery fire. The effort will continue after dark aligned with runway repairs.”

On April 14, 1954, Vietnamese troops attack a position north of Muong Thanh Airport and destroy an enemy company stationed there (Photo: VNA).

According to the plan, two regiments of Division 308 and two regiments of Division 312 were deployed around the north of the airport. The 206th fortress protecting the west of the airport was cut off from Muong Thanh by the trenches of Regiment 36. The 105th fortress north of the airport was also surrounded by trenches of Regiment 165. The two trenches of Regiments 308 and 312 were quickly crashing straight into the middle of the airport.

On the afternoon of April 14, 1954, while enemy transport trucks were being taken to Epervier to collect parachutes and receive supplies, a series of cannonballs from the Vietnamese side poured into this area. Many types of food, including 5,080 field rations, 300 kg of cheese, 700 kg of tea, 450 kg of salt, 110 bars of chocolate, all caught fire. On the same day, Navarre called Ely to ask the US to use 15 to 20 B-29 aircraft to bomb the section of route 41 between the Red River and Tuan Giao. However, Ely answered: “Radford does not accept this solution.”

In coordination with the Dien Bien Phu battlefield, on the night of April 14, 1954, Company 29 under Battalion 58 of Hung Yen Province used secret tactics to attack the enemy at Chua Dam, destroying an enemy company. On the same night in Tu Ky District, Hai Duong Province, district soldiers used insiders to attack the Dai Lo position for the second time, capturing 30 enemies. On road 20, Company 75 organised an ambush from Phu Vac to Ke Sat, destroying and capturing an enemy platoon, while a provincial company coordinated with the Regiment 42 of Inter-Region 3 to raid Sai Village, destroying two enemy companies and capturing 50 soldiers.

(Source: NDO)