Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Indochina, Volume XIII, Part 1

751G.00/3–1654: Telegram

The Ambassador at Saigon (Heath) to the Department of State

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Saigon, March 16, 1954—3 p.m.

1697. Repeated information Paris 527. Situation in battle of Dien-Bien-Phu gives cause for some concern. Viet Minh artillery is zeroed in on French positions and thus far has maintained a rate of fire averaging 10 rounds per minute. Both airstrips in consequence are unusable and French must now rely entirely on airdrop for reinforcements and resupply. Defense is thus heavily dependent upon airdrops from our loaned C–119s.

Unfortunately, weather favors enemy. Area around Dien-Bien-Phu is covered by ground fog which makes it almost impossible for French artillery to undertake successful counter-battery fire. Same fog frustrates French Air Force in attempting to pick out Viet Minh artillery positions and bomb them. In consequence, so long as this fog hampers French firepower, they are in uncomfortable position of being targets for continuous Viet Minh artillery bombardment with no opportunity effectively to reply.

Loss of two airstrips makes evacuation of wounded an ever increasing problem since only means of evacuation is by helicopter and Viet Minh have anti-aircraft capability.

French have lost two outpost positions and approximately two battalions. With drop of Vietnamese parachute battalions Sunday afternoon,¹ total French Union strength at Dien-Bien-Phu is 11 battalions, but Navarre plans further reinforcements. Against French Union forces Viet Minh have 28 battalions. Contributing to fall of second outpost was desertion of a Thai company.

On brighter side of picture is fact that in fierce fighting over lost outposts, French claim to have counted between 1,500 and 2,000 dead bodies on the wire. Projecting this count into other casualties, it would seem that Viet Minh therefore must have lost half a division in this action alone. Fact that for first time in this war Viet Minh asked for truce in which to recover their dead indicates they must have taken severe punishment. Truce lasted from dawn to noon of March 14.

Heath

1. Mar. 14.