page_title: Battle of Núi Bop
section_title: 3 January
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Núi Bop / Battle / 3 January
caption_attribution_description: English: French map of the battle of Nui Bop (3 and 4 January 1885)
context_page_description: The Battle of Nui Bop was a French victory during the Sino-French War. The battle was fought to clear Chinese forces away from the French forward base at Chu, and was an essential preliminary to the Lạng Sơn Campaign in February 1885.
context_section_description: Instead of marching directly east from Chu to attack the Chinese frontally, de Négrier decided to cross to the southern bank of the Luc Nam river and make a wide flank march to come in on the Chinese left.  To divert the enemy's attention while his main column marched around the Chinese, chef de bataillon Diguet's Legion battalion in Chu would demonstrate against their front.
  The column set off from Chu at 6 am on 3 January.  Commandant Mahias led the advance guard, consisting of his own marine infantry battalion, Jourdy's battery and the Tonkinese Rifles, while Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Gustave Herbinger led the main body (the other three infantry battalions and de Saxcé's battery).  A small rearguard protected the baggage train.  After a short march the column reached the ford of Kao Ka and crossed to the southern bank of the Luc Nam.  The crossing was completed by 8 am, and the column then marched eastwards to the ford of Dao Be.  The French had been told that the ford could be crossed easily, but they discovered that the northern bank of the Luc Nam river was more than nine feet high at Dao Be and almost sheer.  The crossing took three hours.  It was not until 4 pm that the main body of the column was able to resume its march.
  While the crossing was still in progress, de Négrier sent Mahias ahead with the advance guard.  Mahias pushed on along the path to Phong Cot, and at 4.15 pm reported back that the enemy was in sight.
  Less than a mile away a long line of Chinese infantry was drawn up across the floor and up the sides of the Phong Cot valley.  In front of this force groups of skirmishers had advanced to within 800 metres of the Luc Nam to occupy a wood.  The French column had been spotted fording the river, and the delay in completing the crossing had given the Chinese just enough time to prepare to meet its attack.  De Négrier had failed to achieve the surprise he had hoped for.
  The French column advanced to contact in three lines.  The first line consisted of Mahias’ battalion, the Tonkinese Rifles and Jourdy's battery.  The second line contained the 111th and 143rd Line Battalions and de Saxcé's battery.  De Mibielle's 3rd Algerian Rifle Battalion formed a third line.
  The French artillery took position on a hill to the right of the path and opened fire on the Chinese skirmishers, while de Négrier gave his orders for the attack.  The marine infantry were ordered to attack the wood frontally, while the 143rd Battalion was to climb the hills to the right to flank the enemy's position and push back the Chinese left wing into the Phong Cot valley.  The 111th Battalion and de Mibielle's Algerians would remain in reserve near the artillery.
  Mahias had little trouble in driving the Chinese skirmishers out of the wood.  He deployed three of the four companies of his battalion to attack the wood both frontally and from the flank, while holding the fourth company in reserve.  Meanwhile, the Tonkinese riflemen took up position on his right to link the marine infantry with the 143rd Battalion.  The enemy skirmishers quickly fell back, and reformed on a small hill behind the wood.
  Captain Salles, whose company had just helped to clear the wood, pushed on and drove the enemy off the hill.  This action took Salles well beyond the other three companies of his battalion and into a hail of Chinese rifle fire from the heights on both sides of the Phong Cot valley, which were held by strong Chinese flanking forces.  To disengage Salles's company it was necessary for the artillery to switch targets while the rest of Mahias’ battalion and the 143rd Battalion attacked on both sides of it to drive back the enemy wings.  Salles withdrew his men to the wood, and the marine infantry battalion reformed and consolidated the ground it had won.
  Farret's 143rd Line Battalion now delivered its own attack on the enemy right, with two companies in the front line and two in reserve.  The advance was difficult, as the Chinese held their positions stubbornly, but eventually the battalion established a lodgement on the high ground close to the enemy p
caption: Map of the battle of Nui Bop
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