In March 1945, Japanese troops conducted multiple massacres of French prisoners of war in Bắc Giang province. Immediately after the surrender of the Bắc Giang garrison, they bayoneted 45 prisoners of war to death; four badly wounded men survived. On 11 March 22 prisoners were killed on the banks of the Cầu River. Thirteen more were killed in a similar fashion two days later. On 14 March, 14 French prisoners were executed behind a church.