France's Operation Lorraine Bold, But a Failure

General Raoul Salan took over from the ailing De Lattre in January 1952, and set about extricating his forces from the Hoa Binh area. This important base had been recaptured by the paras in Operation Tulip (15th November 1951 - the last operation using Ju52 aircraft), but had proven difficult and costly to maintain (5 battalions held the position against heavy VM pressure, but another 4 were required to keep supply lines open). Having cleared the road during late January (using 12 battalions with heavy support), Salan ordered a withdrawal. During late February, a "leap-frog" retreat down RC6 proved bloody, as the CFEO experienced sophisticated VM tactics utilising concealed artillery and AA guns. Once back in the Delta, the war in Tonkin seemed to have reached something of a stalemate. The "De Lattre Line" was holding, apparently keeping the Red River Delta free of VM.
It was not until the monsoon ended in October that activity heated up again. Giap sent the 308, 312 and 316 Divisions south-west into the Thai Highlands, towards Laos. Their first target was the French position at Nghia Lo, a ridge between the Black and Red Rivers, together with attacks on Gia Hoi and Van Yen. Despite initial fierce resistance by the Vietnamese garrison, Nghia Lo fell to "human wave" assault by the 308 Div on 17th October, and the other garrisons in the area fell back on the Black River - they were saved from destruction by the sacrifice of 6e BPC, who were dropped at Tu Le as a blocking force, suffering great losses. (Though Gia Hoi, which had been surrounded by the 312 Division since 15th October, was successfully relieved and evacuated by the paras). Many of the CFEO troops reached Na San, where a fortified base (supplied by airlift) was quickly established as the only viable position in the area. But, suddenly, all of north-west Tonkin and the Laos border area was open to the VM.