While de Rocquigny's group moved west, two companies from the 8th BPC and a company from the 3/1st Moroccans moved east to link up with them from Ao Thach. As they moved through Kem Pass, they were hit by Regiment 57 and driven back with 25 killed and 25 wounded. De Rocquigny was reinforced with the 7th Colonial Paras (7th BPC) and the 2nd Battery, 64th Artillery, at Xuan Mai while the 1st BEP dug in on the northern heights of Mo Son, the 2/1st Moroccans at Suc Sich and the 2nd BEP at Mo Thon and Hillock 125.

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On January 12, as de Rocqigny's task force was clearing both sides of the road from Bai Lang and a newly created Group B (3rd/1st Moroccans, 2nd BEP and Commandos 5 and 7) provided security along the route from Mo Thon to Hill 54, the 7th BPC ran into two battalions of Viet Minh at Hill 202. Following heavy fighting, they were forced to dig in for the night. As darkness fell, they were hit with heavy attacks on their western and southern flanks. Despite the seeming desperation of the situation, casualties were light. The paratroops lost two killed and 11 wounded for 119 Viet Minh dead left on the battlefield. On January 13, the 2nd BEP reinforced the 7th BPC at Hill 202, while the mobile elements pushed forward along the road to reach Ao Trach. With this section of the road clear, de Rocquigny passed control of the 1st BEP to the 2nd Armored Subgroup in command of the subsector at Ao Trach.

The longest section of the road was now clear, but the roughest terrain lay ahead. Clearing Viet Minh forces between Dong Ben and Xom Pheo required several stages to accomplish. The first step was to re-establish communications on the road between Ao Trach and Xom Pheo by controlling the heights of the Dong Ben depression, Hillock 4 and the rock bluffs known as Quarry Heights, all held by strong Viet Minh forces. Between January 14 and 17, Colonel Gilles reorganized his sector's defenses in order to release more units for mobile operations. Mobile Group 1, now commanded by Colonel de Castries, would secure the road between Xuan Mai and Bai Lang, de Rocquigny's paratroops between Bai Lang and Kem Pass, and Route 6 sector troops between Kem Pass and Ao Trach.

On January18, an attack by the 1st BEP, 8th BPC, 2/1st Moroccans, a company (Goum) of the 1st Tabors, and the 19th Engineer Company was stopped cold at hillock 4. As the 1st BEP moved forward on the right wing, they came under heavy Viet Minh attack, losing 15 dead, 2 missing and 48 wounded. The 60th Goum of the 1st Tabors tried to reinforce the legionnaires but were pinned down under the limestone cliffs while the 8th BPC engaged heavy Viet Minh forces at Dong Giang on the left side of the French line of advance.

In the face of mounting casualties, de Rocquigny ordered all units to pull back and dig in. Two days later, reinforced by the 7th BPC and massive artillery fire, he renewed his attack. The 7th BPC took the objective at 1340.

French attention now turned to Quarry Heights and the Ba Xet spur, which commanded the Dong Ben plain. Here they hoped to draw the Viet Minh into a series of attacks to wear down their forces. On January 21, the French installed solid positions between Ao Trach and hillock 4, and on January 22, sent out the 8th BPC, reinforced by a platoon of Chaffee tanks, to bait the Viet Minh into an attack. The Viet Minh obliged the 8th BPC task force east of Quarry Heights, giving French artillery and close air support a chance to inflict heavy casualties. After that, the task force withdrew to Ao Trach.

On January 23, Colonel de Rocquigny readjusted his organization to reconstitute mobile units. The 2/1st Moroccan Tirailleurs replaced the paratroops, who then prepared for an attack into the Quarry Heights region to sweep enemy forces from the area and establish an outpost. On the morning of January 24, the paratroops launched their attack. The 7th and 8th Colonial Paratroops advanced on both sides of Colonial Route 6 while paralegionnaires of the 1st BEP kept pace along the road itself. At 1400, as the BEP approached Bridge 15, Regiment 66 hit the 1st BEP with a close-in rush attack.

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