CS Vietnam Preview | The Battle of Nà Sản

In late 1952, in a bid to block the advance of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam’s (DRV) army into northwestern Vietnam and Laos, General Raoul Salan transformed Na San, a small upland village located along the Lao border, into a major entrenched position. Some 20,000 men were transferred to Na San to turn it into a “usine de guerre fabuleuse pour l’époque”. At the height of the work, Dakota planes were landing or taking off every 15 minutes. The French dug trenches, installed heavy artillery, and built an airbase to supply the camp from afar. A defensive fortress, supplied by air, was thus waiting for the Vietnamese when they attacked. General Vo Nguyen Giap was confident that he could take the isolated camp and consolidate his hold over strategically important Tai regions in north-western Vietnam and northern Laos. He had taken Nghia Lo from the French earlier that year; he counted on doing the same at Na San. However, his intelligence services failed to provide him with accurate information on the new type of defensive war Salan was preparing for him in Na San. On 30 November, Vo Nguyen Giap sent waves of his troops from the 308th and 312th divisions against the camp.