17 Operation Lorraine

Join me in discussing the epic story of the battle of Dien Bien Phu as the siege finally begins. In part two, we follow the tens of thousands of Viet Minh porters, bicycles, and men who dragged artillery through the mountains, see how badly short-changed the French fortifications were, and live through the first brutal days of March 1954 as strong points Beatrice and Gabrielle fall.Chapters:00:00 Intro and welcome back00:57 Recap: Navarre's plan and the case for Dien Bien Phu04:41 The open valley and the artillery assumption06:07 Recap: the paratroopers take the valley, and Giap answers07:39 Viet Minh preparations: 50,000 porters and 21,000 bicycles09:23 Believers and conscripts10:10 Soviet trucks, French strafing runs, and war communism13:07 Hauling the guns: the Viet Minh artillery15:49 Guns on the forward slopes, hidden in caves17:44 French preparations: 36,000 tons needed20:09 4,000 tons approved, and 3,000 of it barbed wire21:14 Bulldozers, generators, and the underground hospital22:02 The evacuation plan22:55 Tired troops and half-built fortifications24:21 The French artillery and the strong point layout25:53 Into the battle: the downward spiral26:48 March 11-13: the airfield under fire, and the wait28:16 March 13, 1700 hours: the assault on Beatrice29:26 The command bunker is hit31:08 Beatrice falls32:22 Giap's truce and the 192 survivors33:43 March 14: the 5th Vietnamese Paratroop Battalion jumps in34:40 The assault on Gabrielle37:01 Marched through the wire: "He has done his duty"38:08 Gabrielle falls, and the cost of three days39:28 Colonel Piroth40:59 Morale cracks: Keller and Anne-Marie41:40 March 16: Bigeard jumps back in, and de Castries' message42:48 March 17: the wounded handover gambit44:02 Anne-Marie abandoned, and the Rats of Nam Yum44:48 Landing under the guns: ambulances, AA, and night glide landings46:36 Giap's strangulation phase begins47:20 Two little nuggets: Thai families and the field brothel48:18 Wrap-up and next episodeRecommended reading: Hell in a Very Small Place by Bernard B. Fall.

Join me in discussing the epic story of the battle of Dien Bien Phu, one of the craziest battles of all time and the final showdown of the French Indochina War. In part one, we dig into why General Navarre chose a remote valley near the Laotian border for his air-land fortress, meet the men who would answer for it, and jump in with the paratroopers who seized the valley in November 1953.Recommended reading: Hell in a Very Small Place by Bernard B. FallChapters:00:00 Intro and welcome back01:45 A "Train Wreck" cold open: Navarre, the evening news, and the lacquered box04:44 Who's to blame? The French inquiry (declassified in 1994)06:38 How bad did it get? Accounts from the hospital, the trenches, and both sides09:53 The siege by the numbers: dates and casualties13:50 Why Dien Bien Phu? The political case: the Thai Federation and Laos16:23 A quick catch-up: Giap's 1953 invasion of Laos19:11 The strategic case: supply routes, rice, and poppy21:16 The Na San precedent23:11 The tactical case: the valley, the hills, and the airstrip25:04 The fatal assumption: "They're not going to bring in enough artillery"27:23 Navarre's grand strategy and Giap's countermove30:00 Navarre vs. Cogny: the start of a feud31:38 The valley and the nine strong points35:51 The rumor: strong points named after de Castries' lovers36:35 Key leaders: Colonel Christian de Castries38:59 Key leaders: General Henri Navarre41:32 Responsibility, the objections, and Bernard B. Fall's Hell in a Very Small Place43:31 Housekeeping: what's next for the series and the show45:07 November 20, 1953: the paratroopers drop into the valley48:30 Day three: Brigitte Friang jumps, and the hedgehog takes shape50:24 Giap marches on Dien Bien Phu, and the Viet Minh consolidate power52:43 Wrap-up and next episode

In this episode we dive into the ambitous Operation Lorraine, aimed at diverting General Giap's forces in Northwestern Vietnam, and luring him into a set-piece battle.

My buddy and host of The Talking Ass podcast joins me as my first ever guest to discuss modern parallels to Vietnam, plus Russia, Israel, and his experiences in both Finnish and Israeli military. Green Hell: Lessons from Vietnam and Afghanistan | Stephen Comstock - The Talking Ass | Podcast on Spotifywww.youtube.com/@TalkingAssPodcastopen.spotify.com/show/4aAgHqDg0Z1kTOpWjezyUtpodcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-ass/id1795311770

A crazy tale of overwhelming odds and human endurance for the French 6th Colonial Parachute Battalion tasked with holding the line against 3 divisions of Viet Minh.

Join me in learning the history of the so-called "Meat Grinder" Battle of Hoa Binh as the French attempt to draw the Viet Minh into the grinder and the Viet Minh play the reverse Uno card.

On this July 4th join me in a special American Revolution episode dedicated to recounting the founding of this great country! USA USA USA!

This episode dives into the second attempt by General Giap to engage with and destory the French in conventional battle.

Join me in remembering several fallen Airborne Rangers on this special Memorial Day episode.

Join me as I discuss the Battle of Vinh Yen - the Viet Minh's first attempt at moving on and retaking Hanoi, and the largest French aerial bombardment of the ENTIRE French Indochina War.