Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-09
Wet Mini Shell
Fort in Prelude
To New Attack
French Defenders
Answer Fire as They
Await Showdown
BY me Associated Press


unleashed violent" artillery
bombardment on Diem Bien Phu
today in what might be a prelude
to a new infantry assault on
the besieged French fortress in
northwest Indo-China.
A French communique said the
defenders answered back with
tremendous barrages as the
rebels rained down thousands of
shells from their los and IS
millimeter artillery and heavy
mortars in the hills encircling
the French-held plain.
Such artillery stepups have
heralded the Wet Minis two
previous attempts to overrun the
fortress, two-day wave of as
saults beginning March IS and
six days of repeated attacks on
various corners of the plains
defenses which ended last Mon
day.
Some French army sources,
however, still believed the Wet
Mimi renewal would not come
for another -four or five days. u
Showdown Battle Expected.
The artillery duel started
after the French reported the
lull in the Diem Bien Phu area
had continued through its fourth
successive night.
The French defenders and
their rebel beSiegers were utiliz-
ing the calm" to intensity their
feverish buildup of men and sup
plies for the expected showdown
"battle of Geneva"
It was clear the Wet Mimi
would have to strike soon, how
ever. if they hope to win a big
victory before the East-West
conference on Asia opens in
Geneva April 26.
CambOdia MObilizes.
Further south in Indo-C China,
King Norodom Sihanouk of
Cambodia ordered general mo-
bilization in his kingdom and
announced he would appeal to
the United Nations against Wet
Mini aggression there. French
observers said they considered
the Kings decree an appeal to
world conscience and not a for
NAL request for U. N. action.
The young sovereign's moves
were prompted by'a small-scale
invasion of Cambodia by about
two battalions Of Wet Mimi from
Laos eight days ago. So far
only scattered actions have been
reported in the vicinity of the
Laos-C ambodia border.
Main attention still was
focused on the buildup for re-
newed fighting at Diem Bien Phu.
The French paracuted additional
tons of ammunition and other
war materiel to the defenders of
the isolated mountain fortress
On its fringes and in the sur
rounding low-lying hills, the Wet
Mimi brought fresh troops into
attack positions and continued
to bolster them with supplies and
ammunition from Red China de-
spite constant air assaults by
French fighters and bombers.
Political Significance Seen.
King Norodom's mobilization
call was regarded as a political
military move, with it's chief
significance in the political field
The Cambodian ruler has won
considerable sovereignty from
the French but still is negotiat-
ing for complete independence
and loosen ties with the French
Union.
He has assumed command OF
all military forces in Cambodia
including a French operational
group. This arrangement, made
in agreement with French Com
missioner Maurice De Jean and
military commander Gen. Henri
Navarro, puts French troops un-
der overall control of the King
f0r tho fret tiyoo
A French-commanded unit
made up of about 80 per cent
Cambodian nationals, has started
moving toward the Stem Pana
area of Cambodia, where the Wet
Mimi invaders were reported
driving on the Mekong River
town OF Stungtreng.
In the Red River delta, mean
while, the French smashed a big
rebel attack near Phuly, 80 miles
south of Hanoi.
The French also announced
that a new transfer of B-26
bombers and two-engine trans
port planes have been delivered
to Indo-China under the Ameri-
can military aid program.
RWMn -