Even the weather, while at times limiting, had generally been to the French Union force’s advantage. The lesson was plainly there for all to see. If the weather turned bad, if the French extended themselves beyond the line of timely air support, then Viet Minh mass could overcome French advantages in flexibility, coordination and superior means of fire support. Both Salan and Giap, as well as their staffs, must have taken note of this.

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Salan, for his part, would again draw Viet Minh units away from the Red River delta and into a similar campaign at Na San. Giap would respond, but Salan was wise enough to withdraw before the weather turned against him. But then Salan and his staff would leave Indochina, to be replaced by General Henri Navarre and a new crop of faces, many of whom had not learned the lessons of Hoa Binh. Indeed, by the time anyone mentioned Dien Bien Phu, most of the commanders and staffs who really remembered the lessons of Hoa Binh were all in the Viet Minh.

This article was written by Lt. Col. Darragh and and was originally published in the October 1998 issue of Vietnam magazine. For more great articles be sure to subscribe to Vietnam Magazine today!

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