It probably would not have made a difference, as the French generalship was so incompetent and Vietnamese General Giáp was brilliant. Still, it is a wonderful battle rifle and I wish I still had mine.
Used to be fun discussing French military rifles with Edmonde.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSWWGFPb7Xc

"Hell In a Very Small Place" by Bernard Fall is an excellent read on Dien Bien Phu. The French survivors/prisoners were never seen again.

Thanks for that info, rcraig. Ordered a copy.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
It probably would not have made a difference, as the French generalship was so incompetent and Vietnamese General Giáp was brilliant. Still, it is a wonderful battle rifle and I wish I still had mine.
Used to be fun discussing French military rifles with Edmonde.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSWWGFPb7Xc

i never regretted it and never cried when they give us the famas ...

Medved, thanks for the comment. Poking around the Net for "Famas" led me to this very interesting site on the Foreign Legion.

https://legionstories.com/at-the-farm/

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Thanks for that info, rcraig. Ordered a copy.

I'm just reading Street Without Joy by the same author, I highly recommend it.

Excellent video

quote:

posted 27 January 2024 09:03 Hide Post
"Hell In a Very Small Place" by Bernard Fall is an excellent read on Dien Bien Phu. The French survivors/prisoners were never seen again.
 
Posts: 885 | Location: South

Major Bigeard of the French paratroopers survived Dien Bien Phu and became a French famous General
after his campaigns in Algeria.

Street Without Joy was on the US Army Special Forces School supplied books-I have copies of both books. at JFK Center-USAIMA-Ft. Bragg, NC 28307

LTC RM

Street Without Joy is indeed a great conpanion to Hell in a Cery Small Place.

There is nothing small arms related that would have helped those Legionnaires.

The generalship by the French was abominable to put it kindly.

The tactical situation was even worse with them in a valley surrounded by hills with tube artillery on all of them.

Once the Viet Minh made airway resupply untenable it was over.

I’m not sure even massive American AirPower could have saved the day. In addition to CAS birds in the hundreds they would have had to bring in most of our strategic air power and carpet bombed all of their supply routes into a moon scape.

I had to look it up, but approximately 4000 of the over 11000 troops captured were repatriated a few months later.

No one knows what happened to the other 7000+.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Medved, thanks for the comment. Poking around the Net for "Famas" led me to this very interesting site on the Foreign Legion.

https://legionstories.com/at-the-farm/

ah ah the farm in the cassoulet region ... nothing beats the montagne noire commando mountain stages but that was few decades ago ...

quote:

Originally posted by 450 Fuller:

quote:

posted 27 January 2024 09:03 Hide Post
"Hell In a Very Small Place" by Bernard Fall is an excellent read on Dien Bien Phu. The French survivors/prisoners were never seen again.
 
Posts: 885 | Location: South

Major Bigeard of the French paratroopers survived Dien Bien Phu and became a French famous General
after his campaigns in Algeria.

Street Without Joy was on the US Army Special Forces School supplied books-I have copies of both books. at JFK Center-USAIMA-Ft. Bragg, NC 28307

LTC RM

General Bigeard was among his troops well seen as he was sharing the meals and the fights with them even as a general. when he retired it was a sad day for the french army.