On April 10, 1954, we continued to consolidate and develop the offensive position.

Implementing the upcoming combat policy set forth by the Party Committee and the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command: "Continue to consolidate and develop the offensive and siege positions closer to the enemy, capture a number of more important positions to gradually tighten the siege.

On the enemy side: The enemy continued to drop the 2nd Colonial Airborne Battalion to support Dien Bien Phu. Also on the same day, the enemy bombed Long Nhai village, killing more than 440 of our compatriots.

At 5:00 a.m. on April 10, Bigeard sat in the shelter at Eliane 4 with 6 radios around him, giving the order to attack. All 20 remaining 105mm cannons at Muong Thanh and Hong Cum concentrated on firing about 1,800 shells at C1. The planes dived and dropped bombs. After the artillery barrage ended, 4 tanks advanced to Eliane 4, directing their cannons to pour shells onto the hilltop. At the same time, nearly 20 mobile machine guns on Hill C1 fired. The enemy cannons changed lanes to clear the way for the paratroopers to advance. The planes fired and blocked our troops' supply routes. Bigeard advocated using maximum firepower to save the lives of the paratroopers.

On our side: On April 10, General Vo Nguyen Giap - Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnam People's Army issued Secret Order No. 95ML/B1 to Divisions 316, 308, 312, 304, 351. The secret order instructed the units to continue consolidating their defensive positions, learn from recent combat experiences, and prepare to continue attacking the enemy in Dien Bien Phu.

Dien Bien Phu Campaign: On April 10, 1954, we continued to consolidate and develop the offensive battlefield.

The Campaign Command under the direct command of General Vo Nguyen Giap is discussing the combat plan for each battle. With the "fight firmly, advance firmly" fighting method, our army "encircles" the stronghold from the outside in, destroying each stronghold cluster one by one, and then completely destroying the enemy. Photo: VNA

On April 10, implementing the upcoming combat policy proposed by the Party Committee and the Campaign Command: "Continue to consolidate and develop the offensive and siege positions closer to the enemy, capture a number of important positions to gradually tighten the siege; completely capture the airport to completely cut off the enemy's air reinforcement and supply routes, limit to the maximum the enemy's parachute drop zones; threaten the enemy more strongly to launch a general attack to end the fate of all remaining enemy troops in the Dien Bien Phu stronghold...".

Units assigned specific tasks to prepare for the new offensive:

- Division 308 developed a siege position and attacked strongholds 206, 310, 311A, 311B in the Huguette stronghold cluster to protect the western flank of the airport, while coordinating with Division 312 to dig trenches across the airport south of stronghold 206.

- Division 312 continued to build an attack position from the east of Keo village to the east of Muong Thanh airport; built attack positions at bases 105, 203, 204 and coordinated with Division 308 to dig traffic trenches across Muong Thanh airport.

- Division 316 continued to build an offensive position in the East of Muong Thanh, adjacent to the left wing of Division 312 and the right wing of Division 308; built an offensive position at strongholds A1, C2, and Chau Un Hill; consolidated the defensive position at Hill C1 and part of Hill A1.

- Regiment 57, Division 304 continued to consolidate and build the offensive position to surround Hong Cum and create a position to block reinforcements between Hong Cum and Muong Thanh; continued to restrain enemy artillery in Hong Cum.

- The 351st Division built more artillery positions in the Northwest of Muong Thanh, bringing large artillery down to the valley to support the infantry.

From April 10, the units, based on their assigned tasks, immediately began to consolidate and develop their positions. After more than a week of consolidating their positions, the trenches of Regiment 141, Division 312 entered the east of the main airport in Muong Thanh. The airport had up to 5 layers of barbed wire fences, interspersed with dense minefields. There were also hundreds of gun emplacements around the airport.

Dien Bien Phu Campaign: On April 10, 1954, we continued to consolidate and develop the offensive battlefield.

Army units crossed forests and waded through streams to enter the Dien Bien Phu battlefield. Photo: VNA

On Hill C1 we had made preparations. The night before, the engineers had moved wood to reinforce the fortifications. A company of the 439th Battalion, under the direct command of Battalion Commander Hoang Vuong, was ready to welcome the enemy. Our artillery immediately pounded the enemy's artillery positions at Muong Thanh and fired at the paratroopers advancing up the hill. The leading paratrooper company, commanded by Trapp, had to stick to the western slope of the hill. Lepage's second company, carrying flamethrowers and a machine gun squad, braved the barrage and tried to charge up the hill. The machine gun squad was destroyed. Lieutenant Combaneyre was seriously wounded. The enemy's flamethrowers covered the Cot Co bunker. Our troops had to retreat to defend the eastern half of the hill.

The enemy pursued us, intending to push us out of C1. At that moment, two reinforcement platoons of the regiment overcame enemy bombs and shells that had just arrived. All the soldiers threw a series of grenades and then charged forward with their guns tipped with sharp bayonets. Facing the brave spirit of our troops, the enemy retreated towards the Flagpole. At 2 p.m., Bigeard had to order two companies of the 2nd Airborne Legion Battalion, which had just arrived in Muong Thanh the night before, to C1 to replace the attacking force that had lost nearly half of its strength.

At 6:45 p.m., the 2nd Airborne Units were consolidating the trenches shattered by the daytime fighting, when a storm of artillery and mortar shells descended on the battlefield. After the artillery barrage of the campaign, the 439th Battalion and a newly reinforced battalion of the 312th Division divided into two wings to charge forward to retake the Flagpole and the western bunkers. The paratroopers ran out of ammunition and could not stop our charges. Captain Charles died in the battle. Captain Minaud was seriously wounded. Both paratrooper companies, without a commander, disintegrated into small groups that resisted desperately. At 9:00 p.m., Bigeard quickly mobilized all the reserve paratroopers to advance to the rescue. Our troops and the enemy engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat.

* Coordinate with Dien Bien Phu battlefield:

- We attacked Dan Nhiem position (Hung Yen) and killed 125 enemies.

THANH VINH/qdnd.vn

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