320th Division (Vietnam)
| 320th Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1951-present |
| Allegiance |
 Vietnam
|
| Branch | Vietnam People's Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Nickname(s) | Đồng Bằng (Delta) |
| Engagements |
First Indochina War Battle of the Day River Operation Bretagne Operation Mouette Operation Castor Vietnam War Operation Kentucky Operation Lancaster Battle of Khe Sanh Easter Offensive Battle of Kontum |
The 320th Division or Đồng Bằng Division (Vietnamese: Sư đoàn Đồng Bằng, Delta Division) is a formation and one of the six original "Steel and Iron Divisions" of the Vietnam People's Army. It was established in January 1951.
The 320th Division was the target of Operation Mouette, launched on 15 October 1953, with the aim "to fix and destroy a major element of the Chu Luc before Giáp could deploy it." The route for the Viet-Minh between Thanh Hoa and the Delta contained a crossroads at Lai Cac which was targeted by the operation. Seven Mobile Groups (Groupes Mobiles) were deployed with river and amphibious units; tank units (largely the M24 Chaffee); half-tracks and paratroopers at designated landing sites, after counter-intelligence mislead the Viet-Minh into defending the wrong locations. GM 2 and GM 3 took Lai Cac and established a camp. The night of 18 October saw heavy counterattacks, which the French resisted. The 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade held out all night against one enemy battalion. This initial action was followed by two weeks of probing by GM 4 and paratrooper units. These columns fought major engagements in the surrounding countryside against the 320th, particularly on 2 November. The French withdrew overnight on 6–7 November. The French claimed over 1,000 enemy killed and 2,500 wounded, while 182 were captured, along with "500 infantry weapons, plus 100 bazookas and recoilless guns and 3,000 mines." Windrow notes that this would amount to one third of the 320th Division.
Regiment 48 of the 320th was stationed at Điện Biên Phủ when the French launched Operation Castor, however after some small skirmishes the Viet Minh abandoned the valley rather than engaging the French paratroops.
In late December 1953 General Giáp ordered the 320th Division to infiltrate into the Red River Delta and assist Viet Minh local regiments to increase the pressure on the French in this region while he concentrated his forces for the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.
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Wikipedia