Operation Brochet

Operation Brochet
	Part of the First Indochina War
	; Location of the Red River Delta
Date	August - October 1953
Location	near Nam Dinh, Red River Delta, French Indochina
Result	Viet Minh victory
Belligerents
French Union ; France; State of Vietnam;	Viet Minh
Strength
~9,000 - 15,300	~10,000
Casualties and losses
96 casualties	10 dead

Operation Brochet took place during the French Indochina War, between August and October 1953. A combined arms operation, Brochet involved 18 battalions of the French Expeditionary and Vietnamese National Armies fighting against the 42nd and 50th Viet Minh Regiments,^[2] fighting in the southern reaches of the Red River Delta near Tonkin in North Vietnam.^[3] The 1st and 2nd Parachute Battalions of the French Foreign Legion (BEP),^[1]^[3] and the 1st and 3rd Colonial Parachute Battalions (BPC) took part,^[4] as did forces of the Vietnamese National Army.^[2] Their objective was to sweep the Delta and remove Viet Minh influence.^[2]

Brochet enjoyed only limited success.^[3] By October 11, 1 BEP had lost 96 men against only 10 confirmed Viet Minh war dead,^[1] and despite French efforts between 5,000 and 7,000 of the Delta villages remained under Viet Minh control.^[2]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Windrow, p. 245.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Windrow and Chappell, p. 39.
^ ^a ^b ^c Windrow, p. 195.
^ Windrow, p. 249.

[windrow245-1] Windrow, p. 245.

[windrowchappell39-2] Windrow and Chappell, p. 39.

[windrow195-3] Windrow, p. 195.

[windrow249-4] Windrow, p. 249.

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