PANO – Dien Bien Phu was the first campaign in the resistance war against the French colonialists during which Vietnamese forces deployed towed artillery batteries on a large scale. At the beginning of the campaign, the Vietnamese mobilized up to 229 batteries. At the end of the campaign, the number was 261. All the howitzers, more than 70% of the field guns, 80% of 120mm mortars, and new powerful artillery guns, such as the H6, were used in the campaign. Added to the troop strength, the art of artillery deployment and employment took the campaign to new heights, contributing significantly to the final victory.

A noticeable success of the combat arts during the Dien Bien Phu Campaign was the smart deployment of artillery force in treacherous terrain. The deployment formed a close and uninterrupted encirclement around French strongholds, from the beginning to the end of the campaign. The artillery dispositions stretched over a large area in which artillery batteries were dispersed loosely at intervals of 3-5km. While the batteries were dispersed, the firing focused on key French positions.

General Vo Nguyen Giap visiting the artillery force

A 105mm howitzer regiment ran its batteries from the northeast of Hong Cum to the northwest of Ban Keo, forming an arc of 30km. The forces overcame a lot of hardships to tow artillery batteries to positions on hillsides around the French strongholds. Within a range of 5-7km, the batteries’ covering fire reached almost all targets in the central strongholds of the French forces during key battles. As for the mortars, they focused fire on the east and northeast of the strongholds, as their effective range was from 600-800m. The field guns deployed on the top of Hill E threatened the French forces within the effective range of 300-500m.

The use of artillery force right from the start of the campaign took the French forces by surprise and caused them to lose their morale.

The artillery force in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign flexibly and creatively applied available tactics. The most noticeable tactic used was “close deployment, direct fire”. It maximized the power of different types of artillery guns. Under the motto “Steady attack, steady advance”, the artillery force combined different tactics to wear out the French forces’ troop strength, weapons and equipment.

On opening the campaign, the Vietnamese forces shelled the French strongholds nonstop  for one hour, using 240 artillery guns and mortars of all types. In the first 15 minutes of the shelling, the Him Lam stronghold’s headquarters was destroyed, helping the infantry force capture Him Lam. The artillery force then provided covering fire for the infantry force to steadily attack and capture terrain.

During the encroachment phase, the infantry force dug entrenchments around the defensive frontage of the French forces. The French forces counterattacked fiercely, causing Vietnamese infantry force casualties. So the artillery force provided support fire from different directions, employing different types of guns. It even suppressed the French artillery force. By suppressing the counterattack of the French forces, the artillery force supported the infantry force in destroying the French forces when they got out of the entrenchments.

Flexible and creative in combat, the artillery force took advantage of all artillery guns, forming the combined arms combat tactics in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. With these tactics, the artillery force contributed to largely destroying the French troops in the campaign, successfully accomplishing its assigned mission.

The artillery force later applied the experience earned in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign in combat, during both the resistance war against the American imperialists and border wars. Military theory was also developed from these experiences, regarding combat and deployment tactics of the artillery force in modern wars.

Translated by Huu Duong