Key Facts
- Start date
- 20 November 1947
- End date
- 22 December 1947
- Duration
- ~1 month
- French paratroop battalions used
- 18
- Combined casualties (Léa + Ceinture)
- ~10,500 (1,000 French; 9,500 Viet Minh)
Strategic Narrative Overview
Launched on 20 November 1947, Operation Ceinture deployed 18 paratroop battalions alongside naval landing craft in a month-long cordon operation targeting the Viet Minh's 112th Regiment. French forces aimed to encircle and destroy enemy units in the designated triangle. The Viet Minh largely evaded the cordons, slipping through French lines and abandoning weapon caches rather than engaging in set-piece battles, limiting the operational effectiveness of the encirclement strategy.
01 / The Origins
Following the First Indochina War's outbreak in 1946, French forces sought to reassert control over northern Vietnam against the Viet Minh independence movement led by Ho Chi Minh. After Operation Léa concluded, French commanders identified persistent Viet Minh infiltration in the region bounded by Hanoi, Thái Nguyên, and Tuyên Quang as a threat requiring a dedicated encirclement effort to suppress guerrilla activity and secure the colonial administration's hold on the north.
03 / The Outcome
French forces withdrew on 22 December 1947, leaving jungle fortifications to maintain a presence in the secured region. While the French succeeded in temporarily clearing the area of organised Viet Minh units, the enemy's ability to disperse and escape meant no decisive blow was struck. Combined casualties from Operations Léa and Ceinture totalled approximately 10,500, with 1,000 French and 9,500 Viet Minh losses, though some Viet Minh figures may include civilians.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent