751G.00/7–2153: Telegram
The Consul at Hanoi (Sturm) to the Department of State
47. Repeated information Saigon 27, Paris 22. I called on General Cogny yesterday to congratulate him on Langson raid.1 He was in a jubilant mood and gave impression of being entirely satisfied with results obtained. Unfortunately it had not been possible bring home more than a token number of the 1,000 automatic rifles seized. The rest, representing type equipment in this army of two full divisions, had to be destroyed. If helicopters had been available, these weapons could have been brought back for distribution among under-armed paramilitary forces; however, since they were Skoda guns, ammunition supply would have presented problem. Two Molotova, 4 GMC trucks and 57 GMC truck motors were destroyed. Operation virtually completed by night of July 19 to 20. There was some indication that Viet-Minh division 308 was beginning to react day after attack began, but reaction was too slow to have effect.
Operation was planned without particular attention to security aspects. Cogny wrote good many of the orders in longhand. There were a few leaks, but none of significance; since there are so few places subject to raid of this sort, it was inevitable that certain persons seeing operation in build-up stage should guess objective. Navarre agreed to operation before his departure for France. Preparations were longer than Cogny wished, but troops and planes had to be rounded up and proper tides awaited for landing at Tien-Yen. Bastille Day made good excuse for gathering of forces.
In reply to question, Cogny said troops had special mission to liberate French Union prisoners of war if at all feasible. Prisoner camp, however, was found to be 20 kilometers from Langson, and under circumstances task force “could not afford luxury of going so far.”
[Page 690]Although proud of his feat, Cogny hopes its value will not be exaggerated. While its effect on morale has been dramatic, it has not changed the basic military picture, which remains sombre.
Cogny intends now to get on with pacification of south delta and hopes that he will not be hampered by General Hinh’s ambition to take over not only from Cogny but from Governor Tri also.
- In telegram 41 from Hanoi, July 18, Sturm reported that French Union forces had launched a heavily-supported airborne assault against Viet Minh depots at Lang Son on the morning of July 17. (751G.00/7–1853) He further reported in telegram 45 of July 20, that the French booty had included 1,000 new Skoda automatic rifles. (751G.00/7–2053) Telegram 141 to Saigon, July 23 (repeated to Paris and Hanoi for information), read as follows: “Department officers most pleased and encouraged at reports of results Lang Son raid.” (751G.00/7–2353)↩