Opération Castor[a] was a French airborne operation in the First Indochina War. The operation established a fortified airhead in Điện Biên Province, in the north-west corner of Vietnam and was commanded by Brigadier General Jean Gilles. The Operation began at 10:35 on 20 November 1953, with reinforcements dropped over the following two days. With all its objectives achieved, the operation ended on 22 November. Castor was the largest airborne operation since World War II.
The French paratroopers of the 6ème Bataillon de Parachutistes Coloniaux (6 BPC) and the 2nd Battalion of the 1erRégiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes (II/1er RCP) dropped over Dien Bien Phu on the first day in order to secure the airstrip built by the Japanese during the occupation of French Indochina by Japan from 1940 to 1945. The operation took 65 of the 70 operational C-47 Dakota and all 12 C-119 Flying Boxcar transport aircraft the French had in the area, and still required two trips to get the lead elements into the valley. Also dropped in the first wave were elements of the 17eRégiment de Génie Parachutiste (RGP) ("17th Airborne Engineers Regiment") and the Headquarters group of Groupement Aéroporté 1 (GAP 1), ("Airborne Group 1"). They were followed later in the afternoon by the 1er Bataillon de Parachutistes Coloniaux (1 BPC) and elements of 35eRégiment d'Artillerie Légère Parachutiste (35 RALP) and other combat support elements. Just after its landing, the 6 BPC ran into contact with the Việt Minh 910th Battalion, 148th Regiment, which was conducting field exercise in the area along with a battery from the 351st Artillery Division and an infantry company of the 320th Division. Fighting persisted until afternoon when the Việt Minh units eventually withdrew to the south.
The following day, the second airborne group, "GAP 2" – consisting of 1erBataillon Etranger de Parachutistes (1 BEP), 8e Bataillon de Parachutistes de Choc (8 BPC), other combat support elements and the entire command and Headquarters group for the Dien Bien Phu operation under Brigadier General Jean Gilles – was dropped in. While on another drop zone, the heavy equipment came down and the engineers quickly set about repairing and lengthening the airstrip.
On 22 November, the last troops of the initial garrison, the 5eBataillon de Parachutistes Vietnamiens ("Battalion of Vietnamese Parachutists", 5 BPVN), jumped into the valley. In the same "stick" as the commander of 5 BPVN was Brigitte Friang, a woman war correspondent with a military parachutist diploma, and five combat jumps.[5] These troops raised the Dien Bien Phu garrison to its full planned strength of 4,500. On November 30, orders were issued for the garrison to guarantee free use of the airfield, to hold the position to the last man, and to conduct attacks to retard buildups of Viet Minh forces.[6]General Navarre created the outpost to draw the Việt Minh into fighting a pitched battle. That battle, the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, occurred four months after Operation Castor.
^Some English sources erroneously translate the name of operation into the English "Beaver".[3][4] However the name of the second operation (the evacuation of Lai Châu), which took place weeks later, "Pollux"; clearly indicates that this is an error and both names refer to mythological twins Castor and Pollux. Fall, Bernard B. (2002). "Notes". Hell in a very small place: the siege of Dien Bien Phu. New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press. p. 467. ISBN0-306-81157-X.
Chen Jian. 1993. "China and the First Indo-China War, 1950–54", The China Quarterly, No. 133. (Mar., 1993), pp 85–110. London: School of Oriental and African Studies.
Cogan, Charles G. 2000. "L'attitude des États-Unis à l'égard de la guerre d'Indochine" in Vaïsse (2000: 51–88).
Clodfelter, M. (2008). Warfare and armed conflicts : a statistical encyclopedia of casualty and other figures, 1494-2007. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN978-0786433193.
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Operation Castor a was a French airborne operation in the First Indochina War The operation established a fortified airhead in Điện Bien Province in the north west corner of Vietnam and was commanded by Brigadier General Jean Gilles The Operation began at 10 35 on 20 November 1953 with reinforcements dropped over the following two days With all its objectives achieved the operation ended on 22 November Castor was the largest airborne operation since World War II Operation CastorPart of First Indochina WarFrench Union paratroops dropping from a C 119 over Battle of Dien Bien PhuDate20 22 November 1953LocationDien Bien Phu VietnamResultSuccessful French establishment of the Dien Bien Phu outpostBelligerentsFrench Union France State of VietnamViệt MinhCommanders and leadersJean GillesJean DechauxHenri NavarreVo Nguyen GiapStrength4 195 as of 22 November 1 One infantry battalion and one artillery batteryCasualties and lossesBy 20 November 11 killed 2 52 woundedBy 20 November 115 killed 4 captured Điện Bien Province shown in green was sufficiently far from Hanoi the seat of French military power that it could not easily be supplied by air Contents 1 Execution 2 French order of battle 3 References 3 1 Notes 3 2 Sources 4 External linksExecution EditThe French paratroopers of the 6eme Bataillon de Parachutistes Coloniaux 6 BPC and the 2nd Battalion of the 1er Regiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes II 1er RCP dropped over Dien Bien Phu on the first day in order to secure the airstrip built by the Japanese during the occupation of French Indochina by Japan from 1940 to 1945 The operation took 65 of the 70 operational C 47 Dakota and all 12 C 119 Flying Boxcar transport aircraft the French had in the area and still required two trips to get the lead elements into the valley Also dropped in the first wave were elements of the 17e Regiment de Genie Parachutiste RGP 17th Airborne Engineers Regiment and the Headquarters group of Groupement Aeroporte 1 GAP 1 Airborne Group 1 They were followed later in the afternoon by the 1er Bataillon de Parachutistes Coloniaux 1 BPC and elements of 35e Regiment d Artillerie Legere Parachutiste 35 RALP and other combat support elements Just after its landing the 6 BPC ran into contact with the Việt Minh 910th Battalion 148th Regiment which was conducting field exercise in the area along with a battery from the 351st Artillery Division and an infantry company of the 320th Division Fighting persisted until afternoon when the Việt Minh units eventually withdrew to the south The following day the second airborne group GAP 2 consisting of 1er Bataillon Etranger de Parachutistes 1 BEP 8e Bataillon de Parachutistes de Choc 8 BPC other combat support elements and the entire command and Headquarters group for the Dien Bien Phu operation under Brigadier General Jean Gilles was dropped in While on another drop zone the heavy equipment came down and the engineers quickly set about repairing and lengthening the airstrip On 22 November the last troops of the initial garrison the 5e Bataillon de Parachutistes Vietnamiens Battalion of Vietnamese Parachutists 5 BPVN jumped into the valley In the same stick as the commander of 5 BPVN was Brigitte Friang a woman war correspondent with a military parachutist diploma and five combat jumps 5 These troops raised the Dien Bien Phu garrison to its full planned strength of 4 500 On November 30 orders were issued for the garrison to guarantee free use of the airfield to hold the position to the last man and to conduct attacks to retard buildups of Viet Minh forces 6 General Navarre created the outpost to draw the Việt Minh into fighting a pitched battle That battle the Battle of Dien Bien Phu occurred four months after Operation Castor French order of battle EditMain article List of French paratrooper units Aeroportable Division Element French Element Divisionnaire Aeroporte EDAP Groupement Aeroporte 1 GAP 1 Airborne Group 1 GAP 1 Headquarters staff 1er Bataillon de Parachutistes Coloniaux 1 BPC Colonial Parachute Battalion 6eme Bataillon de Parachutistes Coloniaux 6 BPC Colonial Parachute Battalion 2eme Bataillon 1er Regiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment II 1 RCP Light Infantry Parachute Regiment 17e Regiment de Genie Parachutiste RGP 17th Airborne Engineers Regiment 35e Regiment d Artillerie Legere Parachutistes 35 RALP 35th Light Artillery Parachute Regiment Groupement Aeroporte 2 GAP 2 Airborne Group 2 1er Bataillon Etranger de Parachutistes 1 B E P Foreign Parachute Battalion 8e Bataillon de Parachutistes de Choc 8 B P C Parachute Assault Battalion 5e Bataillon de Parachutistes Vietnamiens 5 B P V N Vietnamese Parachute Battalion 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar CompanyReferences EditNotes Edit Some English sources erroneously translate the name of operation into the English Beaver 3 4 However the name of the second operation the evacuation of Lai Chau which took place weeks later Pollux clearly indicates that this is an error and both names refer to mythological twins Castor and Pollux Fall Bernard B 2002 Notes Hell in a very small place the siege of Dien Bien Phu New York N Y Da Capo Press p 467 ISBN 0 306 81157 X DienBienPhu org Clodfelter 2008 p 657 B J C McKercher 1996 The Operational Art Developments in the Theories of War Greenwood Publishing Group p 109 Doctor At Dien Bien Phuauthor Paul Grauwin Pickle Partners Publishing 2015 p 16 Fall 138 Prados John 2002 Operation Vulture Ibooks p 41 ISBN 978 0 7434 4490 3 Sources Edit Chen Jian 1993 China and the First Indo China War 1950 54 The China Quarterly No 133 Mar 1993 pp 85 110 London School of Oriental and African Studies Cogan Charles G 2000 L attitude des Etats Unis a l egard de la guerre d Indochine in Vaisse 2000 51 88 Davidson Phillip 1988 Vietnam at War The History 1946 1975 New York Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 506792 4 Clodfelter M 2008 Warfare and armed conflicts a statistical encyclopedia of casualty and other figures 1494 2007 Jefferson North Carolina McFarland ISBN 978 0786433193 Fall Bernard 2005 Street Without Joy Barnsley Pen amp Sword Military ISBN 978 1 84415 318 3 Farrell Ryan F 1991 Airlift s role at Dien Bien Phu and Khe Sanh Global Security website Retrieved February 19 2008 Friang Brigitte 1958 Parachutes and Petticoats London Jarrolds Giap Vo Nguyen 1971 The Military Art of People s War New York amp London Modern Reader ISBN 0 85345 193 1 Navarre Henri 1956 Agonie de l Indochine Paris Librairie Plon ISBN 978 2 87027 810 9 Simpson Howard R 1994 Dien Bien Phu The Epic Battle America Forgot London Brassey s ISBN 978 1 57488 024 3 Vaisse Maurice editor 2000 L Armee francaise dans la guerre d Indochine 1946 1954 Paris Editions Complexe Windrow Martin 1998 The French Indochina War 1946 1954 Osprey ISBN 1 85532 789 9 Windrow Martin 2004 The Last Valley Weidenfeld and Nicolson ISBN 0 306 81386 6External links EditOperation Castor at DienBienPhu org French ambassador honors U S pilots at Castor and Dien Bien Phu Feb 25 2005 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Operation Castor amp oldid 1125258993, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
