Re: Ddie^.n Bie^n Phu?

[giang@essc.psu.edu (Giang Tuan Nong)]

>Hi Anh Giang and Vinh and others,
>
>   Can you tell me why Gen.Nava dropped his soldiers to Ddie^.n Bie^n Phu??
>Is there any strategic fantasy or just a contribution to Gen.Giap's victory?
I think DBP is a vital point in NAva's 18-month-plan to restore the
situation in Bac Bo. His soldiers bailed out on DBP soil on Nov. 20 1953. By
building entrenched camps DBP Nava wants the following
- Control northern VN and Laos
- Attract regular forces of Vietminh to DBP so that the field of BAc bo
would better for him (as more regular forces of VM go to DBP Nava can have a
free hand in the delta.
- Nava is sure that Viet Minh have no experience of encircling and storming
entrenched camps (Ta^.p ddoa`n cu+' ddie^?m), what's more, given the very
poor engineering facilities of VM, Nava thinks that it is nearly impossible
to bring heavy artillery to DBP (remember the story of To Vinh Dien).
Anyway Vietminh did what was believed to be "impossible"

>  After HimLam surrendered, the advantage was in Giap's hand, but the job 
>was not trivial at all.
I agree Him Lam is quite important for DBP, after Him Lam we gained more
confidence.

I think the hardest point is ddo^`i A1, we could not storm by men, that's
why we dug a tunnel and put 1000 kg of explosive right at center......

Giang