APPENDIX I

FRENCH ORDER OF BATTLE DIEN BIEN PHU 6 DECEMBER 1953–8 MAY 1954

Far East

Command

French Far East Expeditionary Corps: HQ Saigon

Commander-in-Chief Far East: General Henri Navarre

Commander Far East Air Forces: General Henri Lauzin

Commander Far East Maritime Forces: Admiral Auboyneau

Indochina Command

Land Forces North Vietnam: HQ Hanoi

Commander: General René Cogny

Tactical Air Group North

Commander: General Jean Dechaux

Air Transport

Commander: Colonel Nicot

Land Forces Laos

Commander: Colonel Boucher de Crèvecoeur

French Garrison 6 December 1953

Airborne

HQ Airborne Divisional Element

2nd Battalion, 1st Parachute Light Infantry Regiment

1st Colonial Parachute Battalion

1st Foreign Legion Parachute Battalion

5th Vietnamese Parachute Battalion

8th Parachute Shock (Assault) Battalion

17th Airborne Engineers Company

Infantry

3rd T’ai Battalion

Artillery

35th Airborne Artillery Regiment

1st Foreign Legion Heavy Airborne Mortar Company

Laotian Autonomous Artillery Battery

French Garrison 13 March 1954

Commander Operational Group North West: Colonel de Castries

Airborne

1st Foreign Legion Parachute Battalion (HQ Reserve)

8th Parachute Shock Battalion (HQ Reserve)

Infantry

1st Battalion, 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade (‘Claudine’)

3rd Battalion, 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade (‘Beatrice’)

1st Battalion, 2nd Foreign Legion Infantry Regiment (‘Huguette’)

3rd Battalion, 3rd Foreign Legion Infantry Regiment ‘(Isabelle’)

2nd Battalion, 1st Algerian Rifle Regiment (‘Isabelle’)

3rd Battalion, 3rd Algerian Rifle Regiment (‘Dominique’)

5th Battalion, 7th Algerian Rifle Regiment (‘Gabrielle’)

1st Battalion, 4th Moroccan Rifle Regiment (’Elaine’)

2nd T’ai Battalion (’Elaine’)

3rd T’ai Battalion (‘Anne-Marie’)

T’ai Partisan Mobile Group No.1 (Francoise and other strongpoints)

Artillery

2nd Group (i.e., 2nd Battalion), 4th Colonial Artillery Regiment (‘Claudine’ & ‘Dominique’)

3rd Group (3rd Battalion), 10th Colonial Artillery Regiment (‘Claudine’ & ‘Isabelle’)

11th Battery, 4th Group, 4th Colonial Artillery Regiment (‘Claudine’)

1st Foreign Legion Heavy Airborne Mortar Company (‘Claudine’)

1st Foreign Legion Composite Heavy Mortar Company (‘Gabrielle’)

2nd Foreign Legion Composite Heavy Mortar Company (‘Anne-Marie’)

Tanks

3rd Squadron, 1st Light Horse Regiment

French Airborne Reinforcements 13 March–May 1954

1st Colonial Parachute Battalion (incomplete)

2nd Battalion, 1st Parachute Light Infantry Regiment

2nd Foreign Legion Parachute Battalion

5th Vietnamese Parachute Battalion

6th Colonial Parachute Battalion

3rd, 5th & 6th airborne surgical teams

Note: This orbat does not include the French air force, army aviation, naval aviation, intelligence, and the numerous support units involved in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.