1er BEP, Dien Bien Phu 1954

Rolling Thunder French Indochina war studies for re-enactors

The newly formed Indochina Living History section of Rolling Thunder have done some photo shoots with a view to writing some uniform studies. 
As we are only a few, I had to draft some collector friends from other societies to help in the photo shoots.

The French paratroopers in Indochina were the post-WWII elite forces of the French army. They were used as firemen for the Indochinese theatre and wherever a situation needed sorting out, they were engaged. 
As Elite troops, their uniform was always quite distinctive from the other French troops and evolved quickly 
during the war. French paratrooper uniforms worn during that famous battle were quite varied 
but helped us to identify the unit represented.

Rolling Thunder, the Vietnam Experience
gives you the full Vietnam experience by bringing you 
the 1st Indochina war. 
Photos taken at Military Odyssey 2016, Kent, UK

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1er Bataillon Etranger de Parachutistes, 1er BEP

 1er BEP was created on 1 July 1948 in Algeria, arrived in Indochina on the 12 November 1948 
and fought mainly in the Tonkin region (North Vietnam).

Dien Bien Phu  

On the 21st November 1953 during Operation Castor, the unit was dropped as part of the second wave of French troops into the area around Dien Bien Phu. The objective was to secure a WWII-era landing strip to later construct a fighting camp to  draw the Viet Minh into another pitched battle against a well-defended position. 
The operation was completed without incident with the battalion digging in around Dien Bien Phu in late November 1953. During the Battle of  Dien Bien Phu, the battalion was divided into mobile fire-brigades, with the primary focus being the Huguette forts, specifically Huguette 5. 
The 1er CEPML* was stationed at Dominique 2 until the 14th of March, 1954, at which point it was shifted to various locations in the fort. Despite furious resistance, the 1st BEP was destroyed for a second time on May 7, 1954 with the final fall of the outpost. The unit lost 316 men killed in action over the course of the siege, not including those who subsequently died in captivity in Indochina. 

* 1er CEPML:  1re Compagnie étrangère parachutiste de mortiers lourds (1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company) 
This was an heavy mortar parachute combat company combat administratively attached to the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion.

1st BEP, Dien Bien Phu Feb/March 1954

Setting the scene 
February 1954, an officer and NCO of the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (1er BEP) walking back from a patrol north east of Dien Bien Phu. Looking at the way they hold their weapons, they must be within the French held perimeter.

 

 Our two men taking 5



    

PITON 781/HILL 781  

Morning of the 5th March 1954, an officer and NCO of the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (1er BEP) are observing the foot of 
hill 781, which they will shortly assault to root out the Viet Minh and to try to release pressure north east of Dien Bien Phu.  

        

 
Also a big thank you to two friends of mine:
 Greg,  from www.modernforces.com  for taking the role of the officer
and to Phil Royal from www.depthoffieldimages.co.uk for his hard work during the photo shoot.
2016 Military Odyssey, UK.

***

This uniform study is of the 1st Foreign Legion paratrooper battalion, 
which wore the French TAP 47/52 uniform 
and mainly French equipment during the DBP battle.

Uniform & Equipment description  

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French M49 Bush Hat
The most characteristic head gear in Indochina and worn by virtually every soldier of 
the "Corps Expéditionnaire Français en Extrême-Orient" (CEFEO).

Locally-made with the large chrome popper
Green French issue
Khaki/sand French issue

 Most of the hats used in Indochina were locally made as the French Army only approved the hat in 1949. The military supplied mainly two different coloured hats - in varoius shade of  sand/beige and Kaki.
Some were also manufactured locally, which are easily recognisable by the much thinner material used and the large chrome popper on the side of the hat to hold up the brim. The one on the left in the photo below has been camouflaged.  This was common practice during the latter part of the war as no specific camo headgear was officially available to match the camo uniforms or to fulfill the need for camouflage. 
The camouflage was hand painted by the owners with whatever paint they could scrounge ( generally vehicle OD green and brown). The pattern was individualised, but mainly followed three patterns,  round blotches to imitate the WWII US camo, block to imitate the British SAS camo and of course stripes for the French lizard camouflage.

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Re-enactors notes: M49 bush hat are easily obtainable via the internet but proceed with caution 
as some reproductions are being made and sold for the same price as originals. Most of them distributed by the French army in Indochina were of the kaki colour, but faded to a sandy type colour very quickly. Further more the majority used in Indo were the locally made one which were of a light shade of kaki, so using the sand colour type is ok. The hats with an adjustable neck strap with a metal buckle are post Indochina circa 59.

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 Helmet:
 The French Para helmet was WWII US M1c or the M1 with a modified liner which had received the TAP/EO Airborne Indochina modification.  The camo net was the US WWII  M43 net with its foliage band. On the photo above, the band  holds a US WWII Carlisle dressing which was much preferred due to water resistance.  The white cord looped around the foliage band is a piece of parachute suspension cord which was used to secure the helmet to the webbing during parachute jumps. 
In fact the TAP/EO modification were not that strong and sometimes broke during parachute jumps resulting with the loss of the helmet.  With the cord, the helmet would stay suspended to the webbing to be retrieved once on the ground.

 Re-enactors notes: genuine war time TAP/EO converted helmets are extremely rare and command very high prices.  Conversion kits and converted post war M1 helmets are available from specialised dealers. Genuine nets are a little more difficult to obtain but repro are available.  Genuine bandages are very common.

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The jacket and trousers:
 These are of the newly designed airborne pattern TAP 47/52 . This uniform was inspired by the British para Denison Smock. The jacket was cut very generously and had a beaver tale to be fasten forward during jumps. The trousers had some very distinctive but useless pockets on the front of the legs. Of course once laying down those pockets were no longer accessible and the contents used to dig into your leg and groin, so these were dropped on the 47/53 version which was not distributed in Indochina. 
These uniforms are extremely rare now and command very high prices whenever they come up for auction.

Re-enactors notes: luckily fairly good reproductions have been available for re-enactors and even collectors. As far as I am aware, there have been four different versions available in the past.  Unfortunately none are 100% accurate.

What Price Glory, US manufacturer: very high quality reproductions with, unfortunately, a major flaw in the camouflage.  The green has been printed on the brown, which is unfortunate as the brown was printed on top of the green on the original 47/52 uniform.   Apart from that the rest is very close to the original, except for the poppers which are much too flat.  
The original ones were domed.  A lot of sizes are available, but they only do limited runs, so the uniform is not always available.

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Jacket from Panzerfaust, trousers from Thailand (similar to WPG)

Another US manufacturer also made some in small quantities.  I have very little information on them but I understand that they are not that accurate, ie some of the pocket flaps are the wrong shape but the print is correct, brown over green.

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Trousers on the left from Thailand (similar to WPG) and on the right from Panzerfaust

Panzerfaust from Hong Kong also made some fairly accurate copies, but again not perfect. This time the print is right, the poppers are better but not perfect, but unfortunately they used thinner cloth making the uniform a lot lighter and of a different feel to the original.  Also, the buckles do not match what I have seen on the original 47/52.  
Lots of different sizes available but, again, limited runs, so not always available.

A manufacturer from Thailand also released some uniforms in Europe and the US in the very early 2000.  These were very similar to the What Price Glory uniforms with the incorrect print on the correct cloth. They were only available in two sizes - small to medium and large to extra large.   They also made a Bigeard cap and a bush hat in the same camo.  
They are no longer produced.

So, unfortunately, no perfect copies!

Detailed photos

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Genuine M47/52 trousers

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From left to right:  Genuine, Thailand/WPG, Panzerfaust
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The boots:
 French military jungle boots  "Pataugas" officially started to appear in small numbers around 1948, prior and post that time, soldiers had to rely on civilian or locally made ones. They were light and quick drying and paras often wore them instead of their leather jump boots. The "Pataugas" is also another characteristic item worn by many soldiers in Indochina from 1950 onwards. The first one issued were from the famous "Bata" brand, but the manufacturing was soon sub contracted to many other manufacturers to fulfill the demand

Detailed photos

"BONUSAGE" brand genuine 50's issue Pataugass

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Re-enactors notes: The same pattern was produced and used by the French army well into the 1980s so later models are not that difficult to obtain. Miltec, a modern manufacturer, does a  copy which unfortunately includes their name on the black rubber ankle re-enforcement which is a real giveaway.  Beware, the French army had some post war Pataugas made with a green rubber sole and others with a buckle gaiter section added (similar to the Rangers).  These are no good for Indochina or Algeria.  

TAP Jump boots

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 The French released their own jump boots in 1950, then a slightly modified version in 1953.

Detailed photos
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Italian copies on the left and genuine M50/53 jump boots on the right.

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Genuine M50/53 jump boots on the left and Italian copies on the right (shiny smooth dark brown leather)

Re-enactors notes: these French M50/53 jump boots are very rare and expensive to purchase.  For a long time it has been acceptable for re-enactors to wear the Italian para boots which, from the front, resemble the French model. The sole and the rear of the boots are slightly different as well as the leather used. 
What Price Glory are making very good reproduction boots to order.  The only difference is they use of a Vibram sole.


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Equipment
:

The 1st BEP at DBP was mainly equipped with the new TAP 50 and 50/53 French made equipment.
On the photo above
TAP 50/53 suspenders with a TAP 50 belt, TAP 50/53
MAT 49 ammo pouches, TAP first aid pouch secured to the webbing and the TTA M47 water bottle. 
Point to notice is the US equipment wire clip used to secure the water bottle to the belt. 
The fighting knife was often carried by the French on the front of their belt and is the US M3 fighting knife. 
On his back is the TAP 51 musette/haversack with French M35 light khaki shelter-half rolled under the flap.  
 
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Re-enactors notes: M50/53 web belt are easy and cheap to get but were only used in very small quantity from around late 53 onwards by some Para units. So better be avoided.
The M50 belt is the one to get, but is rare. 
From the late 50's some M50 belts were manufactured in Europe or locally  for "Regimental  foyer"  which can be recognised by the flat metal belt loop instead of the rounded type  used on the original Army issue belt.  They are a lot less desirable.  
Buyers must be aware that fake M50 belts have been made from the French M50/53 belt webbing with 50's British web belt buckle and  the flat belt loop.
The M36 US WWII web belt would still have been common with the 1er BEP. 
The rest of the equipment can be easily obtained via the internet, except for the TAP musette which is rarer, 
but can be substituted for a WWII US Para repro one.  A genuine M3 knives are expensive, but repros do exist.

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Pochette à pansements type II/48
The canvass 1st aid pouch II / 48 is often associated to the TAP50 (troupes aéroportée) equipment but is actually 
a TTA (troupe toute armes) piece of equipment. I am not sure as when this appear in Indochina but I believe they started to be issued with the TAP50 canvas equipment circa 1951 onward. 
The pouch is made of khaki canvas and closed by a lighter colour canvas thin strap The back of the pouch has two canvas straps to allow it to be secured to your belt, your webbing suspension straps or even to your ankle. 
The lower front of the pouch has a white ink stamped with II/48, which indicate the pouch Theoretical content set in 1948.

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With the pouch is showed a Carlisle US WWII dressing and a French M49 dressing

Theoretical content:

- 1 tube of quinine tablets at 0.20 gr. ;
- 1 tube of parenetic tablets at 0.50 gr. ;
- 1 tube of sodium chloride tablets to 1 gr. ;
- 1 package of antiseptic adhesive dressings;
- 1 individual dressing model 1949 in a canvas envelope;
- small wound adhesive dressings in a paper pouch;
- 1 small syringe of morphine placed in a cardboard box.

The parts are housed in a transparent plastic bag inside the pouch

***The 1st Aid pouch marked with II/48 is the "only French made" correct one for Indo/Algeria.**** 
The content was revised and changed in 1985, from them they were issued with II/85 markings, 
old pouch would have been emptied and refilled with the new content listed in 1985, 
with the original II/48 marking painted over and new stamp II/85 applied,
 this of course are not correct for the Indochina war.

 Also worth knowing is that the Indochina issue pouch had their markings done in white, 
most of them you will find will have the white marking II-48 been remarked with a black ink stamp/stencil or just a black pen, 
I have no idea when all these pouches where remarked, late Indochina or Algeria?

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The weapon:

 The MAT 49, iconic weapons of the French army started to appear in Indochina during 1950. 
 The 9mm
MAT 49 smg was an excellent weapon for close combat with a 32 round mag which folds under for transport. 
In the photo above is also a US WWII entrenching tool and a Colt 45 in a Vietnamese made holster.
Below, a US MKII  pineapple grenade, French OF37 and DF37 grenades.  

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Re-enactors notes: MAT 49 and OF/DF37 are rare and difficult to obtain here in the UK.

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The radio:
WWII US BC-611 radio (SCR
-536) with a range of  1-3 miles, the lesser for Indochina terrain.
Re-enactors notes: rare radio to obtain.  

 You can also see in the photo a scarf made of WWII US parachute silk (beware, do not use the Vietnam Ripstop type), 
a cigarette pack, dog tag and 50's civilian watch.

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Map Case
:
 Standard WWII US Army map case with genuine Indochina maps

 
Re-enactors notes: maps are a little more difficult to obtain than a genuine issue map case, 
which are to be preferred to repro ones.  
Locally-made as well as German and British map cases were also used.

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Binoculars:
French issue 8x30 M51.  
Those used in the photo shoot were 1944 Canadian ones.  
WWII British, US and German ones were also used in Indochina

 

 Please note the equipment and uniforms described here are time specific for the 1st BEP.  
For instance, 
they would have worn totally different uniforms and equipment during 
the RC4 fighting in 1950.


***

Here is the list of our requirements for that specific photoshoot.

Helmet US M1C or M1 modified TAP

French M49 jungle bush hat

US 1944 pattern camo net with or without band

M47/52 TAP uniform

French M50 - M50/53 jump boots (Italian para boots) or Pataugas (jungle boots)

Equipment

M50 TAP or M36 US belt (M53 TAP belt can be used by a few members as they started appearing)

TAP M50/53 suspenders or US M1936

French M47 or US WWII M1910 water bottle

MAT 49 and  TAP ammo pouches
or

M1 carbine with US M1 twin cell pouch, or French M50, or M50/53 riffle ammo pouch.  
(Note: a few 30-round mags were seen with the 1st BEP, probably carried in US WWII ammo bags or Sten gun pouches)
or

M1 carbine with folding stock with twin cell M1 pouch, or French M50 or M50/51 rifle ammo pouch

TAP M50 or US M36 Para musette bag

US WWII entrenching tool

US WWII machete

WWII parachute silk scarf , camo or white (NOT RIPSTOP)

TAP 1st aid pouch

French or US WWII Carlisle field dressing (in metal can)

M3 fighting knife

OF and DF French grenade, or US Pineapple grenade

TAP50 holster, or US or M48 French leather holster

French or US M32 medic pouch

PRC10, SRC536, BC-1000 radio 

M51 French binoculars or WWII US, British or German

FM24/29 with TAP 50/53 ammo pouch

M35 light khaki square tent/poncho, or M51 triangular tent /poncho in light khaki NOT lizard

***

Điện Biên Phủ

After the battle, the majority of the French forces in Indochina were left intact, but the will of the French nation and its Government to support the conflict was gone forever. 
In fact, France had been looking for a way out of the war before the battle 
and its result sealed the fate of  the French involvement in Indochina.

The reasons for the DBP defeat are numerous but the major ones can be summarised as follows:

The French high command,  General Navarre and his staff grossly underestimated the Vietminh capabilities in three major areas:

 1) They did not believe that the Vietminh could mass more than one division at DBP. 
They had four Infantry divisions and one artillery division!

2) They did not believe the Vietminh had the logistic capacity to supply their troops so far from the rear area. 
They did this by drafting - enslaving - the Vietnamese population!

3) The French intelligence estimated the Vietminh artillery pieces and shells to be very low. 
The French estimation was based on old data from the Na San battle with an estimation of 40-60 medium Howitzers. 
The VM field at DBP 144 field guns, thirty 75mm recoilless and some 36 heavy flack guns. 
The 25,000 estimated shell capacity turned out to be in excess of 100,000!

Furthermore, in addition to this under-estimation they over-estimated 

the French Air Force capability, which was vital for the survival of the camp.

 Tactical air support was very low due to the limited numbers of available aircrafts 
and their poor vintage, ie WWII with conventional armament and communication.
There were not enough transport aircraft in Indochina to sustain the 400 tons of supplies needed for the camp to operate daily. The French air force was only able to supply an average of 120 daily with an increasing tonnage falling into enemy hands, when re-supplies were parachuted in, after the closure of the airfield.  
Also, most aircraft reaching DBP were at their maximum range having only a few minutes of flying time above the area 
making air support and parachuting short-lived and this, of course, was if the weather allowed flying above the valley!

***

Good written material on DBP is plentiful in French but no so much in English, 
so to help you to understand this battle I have selected a couple of books which I think will

 help you understand why this battle ended up as a defeat.

 A few words about Col Pierre Langlais
Commandant Langlais arrived in Indochina as a Battalion Commander with the 9th Colot)nial Infantry Division in October 1945.  He returned to Indochina for a second two-year tour of duty in 1949.  On his return to France in 1951, he trained as a paratrooper to take command of the 1st Colonial Para-Commando Demi Brigade (1 DBCCP)
to train replacements for Indochina. In June 1953,  Lieutenant Colonel Langlais arrived  for his third Indochina tour to take command of the Groupement Aéroporté number 2 ( GAP 2). The Airborne Group number 2  was made of  the 1er Bataillon Etranger de Parachutistes (1 BEP), 
the 8e Bataillon de Parachutistes de Choc (8
BPC) and the 5e Bataillon de Parachutistes Vietnamiens.

 Lieutenant Colonel Langlais  broke his ankle during the first parachute jump over Dien Bien Phu in November 1953 with the Groupement Aéroporté 2 (GAP2).  He was flown out and returned with his leg in plaster to retake his command at  DBP in early December.  On the 17th March 1954, he became Commander of the Central Section of the DBP complex.

***

The first is an account of the battle viewed by one of  the DBP Commanders's: Colonel Pierre Langlais 
 English translation of Col Pierre Langlais book: 

 Use the following link provided by the airborneassociation.com
DIEN BIEN PHU.pdf
This is an 88-paged pdf book that can be downloaded and printed if you wish.

***

The second is a book from British Historian Martin Windrow

"The Last Valley"
Dien Bien Phu and the French Defeat in Vietnam

ISBN-10: 0304366927
ISBN-13: 978-0304366927

Available from book shops or the Internet

Amazon book review

This is an epic book about an epic battle. It is not often that the story of a struggle as dramatic as Dien Bien Phu is told with a flair that matches the courage of the adversaries and the sheer scale of the event. Martin Windrow's book is nothing less than a landmark in military history. (Professor Richard Holmes)

This is an outstanding work of military history. It tells the story of the ghastly French experience in Indo-China in a way that has never been done before in English. The account of Dien Bien Phu is a masterpiece of meticulous historical narrative (Max Hastings)

Success in battle, according to one military maxim, may not, on its own assure the achievement of national security goals, but defeat will guarantee failure. Mr Windrow's vivid and well-written account confirms that this was certainly not the case at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. His book is a tribute to his abilities both as a historian and a writer. (THE ECONOMIST)

It is hard to praise to highly Martin Windrow's account, the first work of a historian who obviously possesses great gifts. It is surprising how many writers who describe battles lack any understanding of tactics and technology. Windrow is master of every detail... His book makes gripping reading. I hope he writes a lot more. (Max Hastings THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH)

This anniversary reconstruction of France's most traumatic post-war battlefield defeat is highly opportune... Martin Windrow has pulled off a remarkable feat. (SUNDAY TIMES)

Enthralling...Windrow gives a clear and cogent analysis of the general politico-military position, one that makes the fateful decision to invite a Viet Minh attack on Dien Bien Phu understandable... Anyone who found Stalingrad absorbing will find this book equally so. Like Beevor, Windrow gives one the very essence of battle... His character sketches of individuals from commanding officers down, are deft and accurate... This book is a wonderful account of a terrible battle... (Alan Massie LITERARY REVIEW)

Martin Windrow's The Last Valley is the vividly told story of a miniature Stalingrad in which 10,000 French troops were besieged by a large army of Viet Minh for fifty-seven days, fifty years ago. (HISTORY TODAY)

...Dien Bien Phu, as Martin Windrow's moving and judicious account of the battle and of the two armies that fought it shows, was not at all a straightforward clash between the French and Vietnamese... Windrow tells it with great lucidity and humanity, with vivid portraits of the leading French officers, and... a very fair assessment of the internal dramas of Dien Bien Phu... he also offers asides on weaponry, battlefield medicine, morale... which are among the best elements of this good book. (Martin Woollacott THE GUARDIAN)


***

Dien Bien Phu prisoners

Photo from Google search, taken by Russian photographer

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Viet Minh prison camps in Indochina were 
equal if not worse than the German or Soviet prison camps during World War II.


One in four Dien Bien Phu prisoners will not return alive from their four months in captivity.  
The Viet Minh captured 11,721 men. The badly-wounded were looked after by the 
Red Cross.  The remaining 10,863 were taken as prisoners.  Only 3,290 of them were repatriated. 
Also, there is no record as to what happened to the Indochinese who helped and fought with the French during the battle.

***

 Some more data from an article from French Maj Turellier 
who spent 5 years 6 months as a prisoner of the Viet Minh 

A total of around 36,979 prisoners were taken by the Viet Minh during the war.
10, 754 were released and 26,225 died in camps or on the roads, which amounts to 71% of deaths .
The DBP prisoners mortality rate was, on average, 72% in four months.
The Viet Minh prisoner camps numbers 42 and 113 were the most deadly. They were simply
extermination camps, a grim reminder of the WWII German camps.
At camp number 42, out of 400 Dien Bien Phu prisoners, only 73
came out after four months.  That equates to 82% of deaths.
 
Article/Study in French byMaj Turellier - pdf download link below

http://www.atdm34.net/images/stories/souvenirs/Maj_Turelier.pdf

Photo from Pinterest, author unknown

The information published is to my/our best knowledge and may be altered if new information is uncovered. 
 Article written by J-L Delauve for/from Rolling Thunder, The Vietnam Experience, Nov 2016

All photos are from our collection unless stated and nothing should be re-use without our prior consent! 
Please contact us first.

 

 
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