Operation Lorraine

Part of First Indochina War

Date	October 29 – November 8, 1952
Location	Nghia Lo, Vietnam
Result	Indecisive

Belligerents

French Union

Viet Minh

Commanders and leaders

Raoul Salan
Louis Dodelier

Le Trong Tan

Strength

30,000

Unknown

Casualties and losses

1,200 killed, wounded, missing

3,600 killed, wounded, missing

Operation Lorraine was a French military operation of the First Indochina War.

On 15 October 1952, a regiment of the Viet Minh 312th Division surrounded the French garrison at Gia Hoi 25 miles southeast of Nghĩa Lộ. In response on 16 October the French command dropped the 6th Colonial Parachute Battalion (6 BPC), commanded by Major Marcel Bigeard into Tu Le, midway between Gia Hoi and Nghĩa Lộ to cover the retreat of French forces to the west bank of the Black River. On 17 October two regiments of the Viet Minh 308th Division attacked Nghĩa Lộ overrunning the post in one hour. Following the loss of Nghĩa Lộ, the other French outposts were abandoned and the French fell back towards the Black River with the 6 BPC fighting a running rearguard action.

In order to divert the Viet Minh from pressing their attack on the Black River General Salan planned to launch an offensive against Viet Minh base areas near Phú Thọ, Phú Doan and Tuyên Quang.

Operation Lorraine was the largest operation attempted to date by the French Union forces., the forces involved included four Groupe Mobiles, one airborne group comprising three parachute battalions, two infantry battalions, two armoured sub-groups, two tank destroyer and reconnaissance squadrons, two Dinassaut, two artillery battalions and engineering units.

Operation Lorraine was to be launched in four stages as follows:

The operation was launched on October 29, the French took Phú Thọ on November 5, Phu Doan on November 9 and finally Phú Yên on November 14. The French assault columns were delayed by poor roads unsuitable for armoured vehicles, Viet Minh sabotage and the low-lying waterlogged terrain.

General Giáp planned to wait until the French supply lines were overextended at which point they could be harassed and eventually forced to withdraw. Instead of cancelling his offensive into the T'ai country, Giáp detached Regiment 36 of the 308th Division and Regiment 176 of the 316th Division to defend the important supply bases at Yên Bái and Thái Nguyên.

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Wikipedia