Key Facts
- Date
- July 1953
- Type of operation
- Airborne raid on supply depots
- Extraction date
- July 19, 1953 (by sea)
- Average weight loss per soldier
- 11 pounds
- Rearguard distance covered
- 20 miles overland
Strategic Narrative Overview
In July 1953, French and Vietnamese National Army parachute units dropped near Lạng Sơn, locating supply caches hidden in caves along the colonial road junction. The caches were photographed and demolished. A separate contingent was dropped at Loc Binh on July 17 to secure a river crossing for the withdrawing raiders, who then conducted a 20-mile rearguard march before linking up with Groupe Mobile Five.
01 / The Origins
The First Indochina War pitted France against the communist Viet Minh independence movement led by Ho Chi Minh. By 1953, French forces were under sustained pressure and sought to disrupt Viet Minh logistics. Supply routes near Lạng Sơn, where Route Coloniale 4 and Route Coloniale 1 intersected, were identified as critical Viet Minh resupply arteries feeding operations across northern Indochina.
03 / The Outcome
The combined force was extracted by sea on July 19, 1953, concluding the operation. Soldiers suffered severe heat exhaustion, losing an average of 11 pounds each. The raid successfully destroyed Viet Minh supply stocks but produced no lasting territorial or strategic shift, as French fortunes in the war continued to deteriorate toward the defeat at Điện Biên Phủ in 1954.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.