Operation Mouette

Operation Mouette
Part of the First Indochina War

A Bearcat of the Aéronavale drops napalm on Việt Minh Division 320th's artillery during the operation.
DateOctober 15, 1953 – November 7, 1953.
Location
Result Tactical French Union victory.
Area temporarily occupied before French withdrawal.
Territorial
changes
Pho Nho Quan area, Red River Delta
Belligerents

French Fourth Republic French Union

North Vietnam Việt Minh
Commanders and leaders
France Christian de Castries
France Jean Gilles
North Vietnam Văn Tiến Dũng
Strength
France 21,000–24,500 supported by Chaffee tanks.[1] North Vietnam 1 regular division + regional forces
Casualties and losses
France: 113 killed
505 wounded
151 missing
1,000 killed
2,500 wounded
182 captured
(French estimates).

Operation Mouette was an operation in 1953 by the French Army in Northern Vietnam during the First Indochina War.[2] It was launched on October 15 in an attempt to locate and destroy Viet-Minh Chu Luc troops operating under the command of Võ Nguyên Giáp around the area of Phu Nho Quan, south of the Red River Delta.[2][3] Following the establishment of a French camp in the area, various troops were dispatched to engage the Viet-Minh forces. The operation was ended and the French withdrew by November 7, claiming approximately 1,000 enemy combatants killed, twice as many wounded, and 181 captured as well as a substantial quantity of weapons and ammunition.[4]

  1. ^ Windrow (2005), p. 177.
  2. ^ a b Wiest, p. 43.
  3. ^ Windrow (2005), p. 221.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference windrow(2005)222 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).