Evening star., 1953-11-29
By EorI H. Voss

The idea has been catching on
recently that the war in Indo-
China is not like most other wars,
like World War II or the Korean
war. for instance. AS almost every
body knows, There is no front;
this is a guerrilla war;" But with
of this different kind of war" in
Indo-China is usually dismissed, left
for the French to figure out and
win.
How is a war with no front
fought? Is it just one endless series
of guerrilla raids which must be
Tended off as long as guerrillas
choose to fight? Or is there some
way to bring the Wet Mini to their
knees?
The story of how the French are
fighting this war and how they hope
to win begins with a discussion of
the terrain of North Wet Nam, the
key area in this war, from which
this correspondent has just returned.
North Wet Nam, like ali Gaul, is
divided into three parts. First,
there is the Red River delta area,
a watery conglomeration of rice
fields. roads, diked villages, rivers
and rivulets. It is roughly triangu-
lar in shape, with the shoreline
forming the base of the triangle.
Key ports. roads and reproducing
areas in this vital sector are held
by the French and Wet Namese.
Second, there is the difficult hilly
section which rings the delta. Rugged
hills and jagged cliffs jut straight
out of the countryside, Wyoming
fashion. making for horseless
cowboy-type terrain suited to guer-
rllla war. Behind the hills is the
third area, a region of high noun
ta1nS. where there are few roads.
but enough trails for the Wet Mimi
to carry in supplies from Red
China.
Wet Mini Strength .
The Wet Mimi have situated five
divisions among the hills and rocks
threatening the delta. The 3O8th
and 312th Divisions operate from the
northern side of triangle. The 304th
and 320th operate from the south,
and the 316th handles the south
central sector, threatening both the
delta and Laos. The Wet Mimi also
nave a rowing sixth division, COM
posed OF two heavy artillery regi-
mentS and one engineer outfit, work.
ing on the edge of the mountains.
This outfit amounts to what we
would call corps artillery" and
corps engineers s"-heavy units
made available to the five other
divisions for support in big opera
tions Stabbing at the delta.
In addition to these forces outside
the delta, the Wet Mini have a wide
assortment Of units operating semi
autonomouSly within the delta area.
Their job is to raid the countryside
Tor rice, manpower and salt, to dis
rupt communications, and generally
to reduce the Franco-Viet Namese
ability to wage war.
Five regular Wet Mini regiments
normally operate inside the delta.
These are seasoned troops who give
the crack French Union troops some
OF their biggest battles. Recently a
few of the regiments had to be with
drawn from the delta, however. to
counter French strike at Lao Kay.
key river and rail terminal near the
China border. through which the
Wet Mimi supplied their divisions
on the edge of the delta.
In addition to these five regular
regiments, the Wet Mimi have u
battalionS, 100 district companies"
whose strength is roughly twice that
OF regular company, and some
$4,000 guerrillas, all raising hob in
side the delta.
So far, combined French and Wet
Namese forces have been large
enough only to fend off major di-
vision strength thrusts while pro-
tecting the key regions inside the
delta. This protection within the
delta is accomplished through some
500 posts, usually centered around
reinforced concrete bunkers and
massive. medieval-looking towers
from which guards continuously
search for Wet Mimi raiders. These
posts, manned by from 10 to some
times so or more men, are strung
along key roads, like those from
Hanoi to the port cities of Haiphong
and Nam Dinh. Roadside posts are
usually within sight and easy COM
munications of their neighbors.
Railroads usually follow the high
ways closely so that both can be
protected by the same personnel.
BY day, armed home guards re-