May 5, 1954: France gave little reinforcement to Dien Bien Phu

ABO/NDO- On May 5, 1954, Vietnamese troops consolidated the positions they had captured at Eliane 1 (C1) and Dominique 3 (505, 505A).

On the enemy's side, heavy rainfall at night hindered military activities; rainwater soaked tunnels and pits collapsed. The French army continued to send 74 reinforcements from the Colonial Parachute Battalion No.1 to parachute in to support Dien Bien Phu. After midnight of the same day, the enemy’s artillery command reported on the situation of artillery shells fired during the day to the logistics agency: 2,600 105mm shells, 40 155mm shells, and 1,180 120mm shells.

Vietnamese artillery units continue to shell enemy positions. The enemy positions hit by artillery shells are on fire. (Photo: VNA).

This rate of fire, if air supply did not increase, would lead to a lack of artillery shells from the following day. After checking inventory, there was only enough food left for three days, along with three basic loads of 105mm artillery shells, two basic loads of 155mm artillery shells, and one basic load of 120mm artillery shells. The third Company of the Colonial Parachute Battalion No.1 arrived at Eliane 2 (A1) to replace the remaining element of the first Battalion under the 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade.

The US established an air supply bridge large C119 transport aircraft to support French troops in Dien Bien Phu. At 5am on May 5, 1954, two C119 aircrafts dropped parachutes, 37% of the 78 tonnes of parachute cargo dropped by parachutes that day were lost. Most of the goods mentioned above fell on our battlefield.

(Source: NDO)