| January
|
| 13th
|
Communist forces attack the French fortified defensive line around the Red River
Delta (De Lattre Line) at Vinh-Yen, in an attempt to reach Hanoi
|
| 17th
|
After suffering repeated human wave and suicide attacks, napalm drops help the French
to defeat Vo Nguyen Giap's troops
and to hold the area around Vinh-Yen
|
| 20th
|
Bao Dai orders Prime Minister
Tran Van Huu to form a new and more representative government
|
| February
|
| 18th
|
Prime Minister Tran Van Huu announces his new cabinet
|
| March
|
| 23rd
|
Viet Minh infantry divisions stage a second attempt to destroy the French defensive
line with a fierce attack on Mao Khe
|
| 29th
|
Despite the near destruction of Mao Khe village, French Union Forces manage to overcome
the Communist offensive
|
| May
|
| 9th
|
Jean Letourneau, Minister for the Associated States, confirms that the French Expeditionary
Force in Indochina totals approximately 225,000 men consisting of:
- 51,000 metropolitan Frenchman
- 18,000 Legionnaires
- 26,000 North Africans
- 15,000 Africans
- 56,000 Indochinese
- 17,000 French Officers
- 42,000 Native auxiliaries
The National armies of the three Associated States total 162,000 men
|
| 29th
|
Viet Minh forces infiltrated behind the De Lattre Line combine with regular Communist
Divisions to mount a surprise attack on French positions along the Day River, south
of Hanoi
|
| 30th
|
Lieutenant Bernard de Lattre (son of the General) is killed at Ninh-Binh during
the first night of the Day River assaults
|
| June
|
| 18th
|
The Communist supply line is ravaged by French riverine (Dinassaut) and airborne
elements, forcing the Viet Minh to abandon their third assault in the Red River
delta
|
| October
|
| 5th
|
French forces manage to successfully stop repeated Viet Minh assaults against Nghia
Lo in the mountainous T’ai area
|
| November
|
| 14th
|
De Lattre takes the fight to the Viet Minh with a military offensive on the town
of Hao Binh on the Black River, a major supply route between Communist strongholds
|
| 15th
|
French forces successfully occupy Hoa Binh after meeting surprisingly little resistance.
General Giap responds by launching a huge Viet Minh counteroffensive
|
| December
|
| 19th
|
General de Lattre leaves Inchochina
|
| January
|
| 11th
|
General de Lattre de Tassigny dies of cancer. He is replaced as Commander-in-Chief
by General Raoul Salan
|
| February
|
| 22nd
|
Salan orders Frenco-Viet forces to withdraw from Hoa Binh after 3-months of ferocious
and murderous fighting
Salan says his decision to withdraw is based on the fact that:
- The Viet Minh have succeeded in developing a parallel supply route
that bypasses the town
- The number of troops pinned down in Hoa Binh jeopardizes control
of the Red River Delta, which the Viet Minh have begun to infiltrate
|
| June
|
| 6th
|
Nguyen Van Tam succeeds Tran Van Huu as Prime Minister
|
| July
|
| 31st
|
Major General Thomas J. H. Trapnell succeeds General Brink as Chief of MAAG-Indochina
|
| October
|
| 29th
|
General Salan launches Operation Lorraine; a large-scale offensive on the Viet Minh's
supply system along the Red River. The raid is designed to divert enemy troops from
the T’ai hill country
|
| November
|
| 5th
|
General Dwight Eisenhower wins the U.S. Presidential election
|
| 14th
|
After capturing sizeable quantities of Viet Minh equipment but failing to engage
the enemy, General Salan orders the withdrawal of troops from Operation Lorraine
|
| 17th
|
French forces are ambushed by the Viet Minh at Chan-Moung whilst withdrawing to
the de Lattre Line.
|
| 23rd
|
The 308th Viet Minh Division surrounds and attacks the fortified French airbase
at Na San
|
| December
|
| 1st
|
French defenders repel the Viet Minh attack on Na San
|
| 18st
|
Jean Letourneau, Minister for the Associated States, confirms that 90,000 French
Legionnaires, African and North African troops are dead, missing or wounded for
the period 1945 to October 1952
|