Việt Minh invasion of Laos (spring 1953)
The 1953 Viet Minh Invasion of Laos is a series of skirmishes in which Việt Minh troops advanced into northern Laos in the Indochina War in the spring of 1953 . The Việt Minh fought battles with the Laotian army and French colonial troops for the royal city of Luang Prabang and the access to Vientiane . The Việt Minh eventually withdrew after their troops were exhausted.
background
The military resistance of the Vit Minh in the Indochina War was mainly concentrated in the Tonkin and Annam regions in northern Vietnam. Laos was ruled by a pro-French government. The Việt Minh had already started the Laotian communist resistance against this government in 1950 to support Prince Souphanouvong . From December 1952, the Việt Minh high command around Vo Nguyen Giap had major combat operations of its regular forces cease. Giap had three infantry divisions refreshed in the Tonkin highlands: the 312nd Infantry Division near Dien Bien Phu , the 308th Infantry Division near Na Cam and the 316th Infantry Division near Moc Chau. Giap planned a push towards Laos. In the rough terrain of the mountainous inland, the Vietnamese high command believed the French were at a disadvantage due to logistical difficulties. Giap planned an invasion of Laos with the aim of bringing as much of the country as possible under the control of the Việt Minh and Pathet Lao. The final destinations of the operation were Vientiane and Luang Prabang.
Course of operation
On April 9, 1953 Giap had the three deployed divisions deploy with separate goals in Laos. The 312nd Infantry Division was to advance towards Luang Prabang. The 316th Infantry Division was to advance to Vientiane via the Plain of the Jars . The 308th Infantry Division advanced in the direction of Pak Seng between the other two divisions and was designated as a reserve for the other two formations. At the beginning of the operation, the Việt Minh were able to advance around 20 kilometers per day and were able to quickly overrun the defenses of the colonial troops. In retreating against the advance of the Việt Minh, the French and Laotians lost the equivalent of five battalions. On April 30th the 312nd Infantry Division was able to enclose the garrison of Luang Prabang, which consisted of three French battalions and Laotian troops. The French set up an air supply base on the plain of the clay jugs and assembled ten battalions there. On April 26, troops from the 316th Infantry Division attacked the base but were repulsed. Giap kept the 308th in reserve and on May 7, 1953 gave the order to the attacking divisions to withdraw under the protection of the 308th Infantry Division. This unit was also commissioned to set up food and material depots in the north of Laos for further operations.
consequences
For the French, the invasion of Laos was both a surprise and a logistical challenge, as reinforcements for Laos could only be organized at this speed by air transport. In public, the ability of the Việt Minh to attack Laos weakened the French position. The defensive strategy of Commander-in-Chief Raoul Salan was also criticized by the American allies. On the part of the Vit Minh, the campaign was rated as a strategic success, as it showed that the Việt Minh could operate with regular forces even in the rough terrain of Indochina. The Việt Minh High Command saw this as confirmation of their strategy of relocating the war to the inaccessible mountain regions and planned a new offensive in Tonkin, which would eventually lead to the battle of Điện Biên Phủ .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Christopher E. Goscha : Historical Dictionary of the Indochina War (1945-1954) - An International and Interdisciplinary Approach. NIAS Press 2011, p. 257
- ^ A b c Charles R. Shrader: A War of Logistics: Parachutes and Porters in Indochina, 1945-1954 . University Press of Kentucky, 2015, ISBN 978-0-8131-6576-9 , pp. 278-283 .