RIVER AMBUSH AT NGOAÏ THON (Red River 27 March 1954)

RIVER AMBUSH AT NGOAÏ THON
(Red River 27 March 1954)

Par Francis AGOSTINI
Veteran of the Commandos Nord Vietnam


During the months of January, February and March 1954 we carried out many escort missions on the Red River, the Song Thaibinh, in the arroyos, the Bamboo Canal and the Rapid Canal. Of course missions were also carried out in the China Sea, and on the coasts of North Annam, Than Hoa and the Tonkin. This means that the degree of accumulated fatigue and the frequent lack of sleep meant that we would sleep anywhere on board the LCM or LCT.

But on the Red River, in the neighborhood of Nam Dinh, we were engaged on several occasions by Viet elements, better and better equipped with heavy weapons, principally of Chinese origins: SKZ, recoilless rifles, and large caliber bazookas. In the Hung Yen region, in particular, were infiltrated elements of DD 320, and also the famous Regiment 42 (“TD 42”) whose stronghold was the center of the Delta (principally Tien Lang), where - despite multiples operations assembled against it, and although having suffered very serious losses in men and equipment - it restored itself quickly and held sway there. The High Command had realized this since Operation "Pike" (where we lost one of our sub-officer friends, Sergeant DOLHEM of the 8th BPC, who had travelled with me from Marseilles, he being assigned to a parachute unit - the 8th Choc, and me to the North Vietnam Commandos). We were therefore always alert and on our guard, not only on board when we sailed (the river banks being comparatively close to the level of the water), but equally when we searched villages. It sometimes happened that, when we arrived, we would see one or two regional or bodoïs companies, emerging from a field of corn (where the Viets had buried themselves), and charging us shouting slogans to the glory of Hô Chi Minh. Taken by surprise, we were often obliged to fall back in the face of this human tide, that despite the frightful losses caused by our fire (and particularly by the weapons of the Navy), continued to attack until the airforce intervened with the napalm.

27th March 1954 did not break this rule. Taking part in a river convoy that was to re-supply Hung Yen (blockaded for some time), we had already taken sporadic fire from the left bank, from where machinegun fire had lightly wounded the hand of Sergeant Pierre LUCCHINI, commanding our 1st section.

But it was on the return that the Viets awaited us, and they thought to continue the affair of the Rapid Canal or the Bamboo Canal, where some months beforehand they had caused us some difficulties – not to say more - in the two cases.

Arriving alongside the island of Nhat Tao, we were taken under automatic weapons fire from both banks of the river, and it is difficult to spot exactly the firing points in the smoke and dust. In my LCM since the beginning of the operation, was the 1st section commanded by Sergeant Pierre LUCCHINI (veteran of the DFL) and his assistant DEALBERTO, my 3rd section, and the command section of Captain Raymond DUPAU (veteran of the CLI) with Sergeant GUENIER our radioman.

In the second LCM are the 2nd section with Adjutant GUETRE, Staff-Sergeant DUBREL, and the 4th section (with Master Corporal AUBERGER and Sergeant LY WA HOI).

Next to Captain DUPAU, close to the Vietnamese helmsman who is trying (although poorly) to direct the LCM into the middle of the explosions; we try ourselves to see something. This is not easy, as everywhere there are sprays of water and long bursts of automatic weapons that do not raise geysers when they hit the boats. Suddenly, the LSIL of Commander Julian BINARD steers into our path, standing on the bridge of the LSIL, the commander waivers his cap to designate the river bank from which they principal fire of the Viets come from. Standing on the bridge, not preoccupied in the least by the fire, he continues to direct until the LCM, LCT and LSIL have "beached". The whole Dinassaut flotilla receives the order to land the assault force. The craft rush in, hit the bank, and the commandos rush out, with units totally mixed. We find ourselves upstream next to LCT 9067.

Sergeant LIU TAI CHU, my assistant, is killed the moment the ramp drops, with a bullet in the head. LIU TAI CHU had been a battalion chief-of-staff in the Army of TCHANG KAI TCHEK. Following the victory of MAO TSE TOUNG he had crossed the border into the Tonkin, and had been disarmed and regrouped with thousands of other Chinese in GACR. Thanks to Reverend MAILLOT, of the Catholic missions in China, more than 130 of them will join Commando 32 (“Sénée”). They will show themselves to be loyal and brilliant fighters.

As usual, the 1st and 3rd sections rush forward, and climb the bank - not without having grenaded the Viet combat positions. The Captain is right behind us, his Colt in his hand, with Sergeant GUENIER carrying the 300 radio set. I take no more than ten steps, and then I stumble and fall in a hole covered with Kieffen. In the hole are two Viets that KONG HING GIONG, my "plug" cuts down. DEALBERTO, next to me, clears the trench with carbine, with two of his men. We are through, and the Viets are not able to turn their heavy weapons. Seeing that they are trying to leave, they are pulled up like rabbits. Progressively our supplementaries collect the weapons.

The Viets had foreseen everything, except that we would land troops. Well dug-in, they could not be spotted by aircraft, and could not be seen from the river until they opened fire. But now they are taken at their own game. One of my supplementaries steps through another kieffen and falls onto a 30-cal machine gun, the crew is cut down with bursts of MAT49 fire. I shoot four Viets and my lead team recovers their weapons: a “Camembert” Thomson SMG. We advance further, having gone past LCT 9067, and we are now located in a field. The Bodoïs attempt to flee and they are cut down for we do not have time to take prisoners. Besides, they do not seem to have the intention to give up, and begin defending themselves. We begin taking fire from the North; several Garant rifles, Chinese grenades, MP40s …..

Advancing again, with Captain DUPAU behind me, I again fall into a hole and find myself facing a wounded Viet with a 300 radio set. I unsuccessfully try to pull him out, and so a grenade solves the matter, destroying the set with the Viet. A little further on we find a Reibel machine gun that we recover. DEALBERTO rejoins us, and tells me that LUCCHINI has just been seriously wounded, the Captain moves with GUENIER. Pierre has taken two bullets in the stomach, and it is not good to see. But with the courage of a lion, he leaves the bank accompanied by his men, without waiting for support….

In the middle of the field, we notice that the Viets are sending infantry reinforcements towards us, and that LCT 9067 is no longer in the same place. We will learn later that, having been "bazooka-ed" on its left side, it moves back into the middle of the river. The captain returns to me with GUENIER, and we receive the order to rejoin the bank. But without news of DEALBERTO and his 1st section, we advance again into the field, and manage to regroup his section by shouting for them, his men were paying back the Viets for the wounded of their commander…

Under the protection of our LMGs, we withdraw. It is time as our ammunition reserves begin to exhaust themselves. Even if we have a larger allocation than normal, we opened up with a hot fire and the ammunition is consumed quickly! The Viets are now spotted in the corn field and are taken under the fire of a Navy monitor, who treats them with 20mm cannon fire. We had stopped them, but the monitor literally slaughters them ….

The recovered weapons and ammunition, along with documents in satchels are thrown into the LCM. Captain DUPAU embarks on the last LCM, and the Vietnamese commander of the LCM does not waste any time in getting his craft off the bank and back into the river. Quickly the captain takes stock by radio and learns that Pierre LUCCHINI is located on board the LSIL with a doctor. Master-Sergeant DUBREL has been seriously wounded in the leg, and our light wounded are cared for. There are two dead in our LCM, and a crew member of the LCM is also lightly wounded.

For my part, I don’t know if it is imitating my Commando chief, nervous reaction, or retrospective fear, but I begin smoking cigarette after cigarette. DEALBERTO is horrified to see his seriously wounded section commander, as they made a formidable team. We see that all three are secured.

Pierre LUCCHINI, operated on in Haiphong, will quickly be repatriated to France, just as Staff-Sergeant DUBREL. Pierre LUCCHINI will die of the complications of more than twenty wounds, victim of an internal éventration, while he helped his parachutist son at Borgo in Corsica, to adjust his parachute…..

Following these losses we did not receive any reinforcement to replace our friends. The weeks that will follow will be particularly painful for the supervision personnel, but also for our supplementaries. Practically without rest, they are subjected to convoy escorts and landings on the coasts of Annam and Tonkin, and then the evacuation of dioceses - notably Phat Diem.

General, all of those together make a great digest on the Indo-China War. Beaucoup info in these posts.

Tom

Tom,
Glad you like. I've got an "official" account of this engagement somewhere, which I'll try to dig out.

The background to this account is that by 1954, the VM were playing merry hell with French river convoys, ambushing them on a regular basis with heavy weapons (RCLs, mortars, MGs, etc). Suppressing the ambushes with fire from boats was very difficult (as the VM were dug-in and camouflaged.

So the plan was hatched to have 2 full French commando units hidden in LCMs in the convoys. When the ambush was sprung, the LCMs would land the commandos to overrun the ambush site.

On this occasion the plan went very well. The VM were prepared to engage boats on the river, but had failed to provide adequate defences against disembarking infantry. The commandos were able to roll-up the ambush site and capture a number of heavy weapons.

Tim

Good for the commandos!!

Tom