Two French battalions parachuted into “the seat of the border country prefecture” on November 20, 1953, to establish a base for long range penetration into Vietminh rear areas. Reinforcements soon followed. But, Vietminh units congealed to form a ring around the valley and inflicted 1,000 French casualties by February 1954. So, the long range penetration mission degenerated into a siege of 10,000 French troops. By March 11, the siege was so tight that French efforts to provide the easternmost strongpoint, Beatrice, with water required two tanks and an infantry battalion as escort. Vietminh commissars advised the locals to evacuate the valley bu noon, March 13. Beatrice would be Dien Bien Phu in microcosm.
Attacker: Viet Minh (312th and 316th Divisions)
Defender: French (10th and 11th Companies 3/13 DBLE,)
