Evening star., 1954-05-08

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WHAT'S NEXT FOR WET
MINH-Black indicates IndO-
China area occupied by Wet
Mimi, including Diem Bien
Phu. The question is whether
the rebels will move in toward
Luang Prabang or Hanoi.
French Union forces hold
other main cities of Saigon
and HaiphOng.
-AP WirephOtO Map.
Nguyen Chaps men fought them
back and they retreated to the
maze of trenches and barbed
wire of their positions.
The commands press infor-
nation officer said there was no
doubt that Isabelle, too, after
this courageous last attempt,
had bowed to an enemy far
superior III numbers.
The fate of the wounded still
remained hidden "a hours after
Dien Bien Phu'S fall.
With communications broken
completely since early this morn
ing. no one knew, except for
enemy broadcasts. what had be-
come of Brig. Gen. Christian de
Castries who had vowed to fight
to the death.
Vows Not to Surrender.
In a dramatic last conversation
with his immediate superior,
Gen. Rene Cogny. he promised
not to raise the white flag over
the redoubt and ended with a
vibrant "Vive la France"
Over the radio telephone be-
tween Hanoi and Dien Bien Phu
listeners sensed an extraordinary
calm.
After destroying their radio
and telephone equipment at
$3.50 am. yesterday "the battal-
ion fought on to the last bullet,
using their naked bayonets," the
command said.
Earlier Gen. Henri Navarro.
commander of French Union
forces in Indo-China, said the
battle against the Communists
would continue despite the fall
of Dien Bien Phu. He said that
if the Geneva conference fails
1t will be necessary to inter-
nationaliZe the war in Indo-
China. He said he would well
come any outside help. but
warned that this might cause
the Communist Chinese to inter-
Vene.
TOnkin Attack Possible.
Gen. Navarro said it was pos
sible that the Wet Mimi will
move heavy artillery into the
Tonkin delta after a 15-day rest
period.
Gen Navarro said that Diem
Bien Phu fell because when it
was occupied it was to fight one
kind of war. Three months later
because of the Geneva confer
ence and the increase aid lent
by Red China the Wet Mimi
were fighting another kind OF
war with heavy artillery.
He said French observation
planes this afternoon sighted
columns of men moving north
ward from the fallen fortress
and he presumed these were
prisoners.
Medical Supplies Dropped.
Planes flying low over the
stilled battlefield dropped enough
food and medical supplies to
care for the 1.400 most seriously
wounded soldiers of the garri-
son.
Shortly after. the parachutes
were picked up.
The general. speaking infor-
mally to newsmen. said he be-
lieved the Wet Minis losses were
about $4,000 men.
The strength of the garrison
of Dien Bien Phu when it fell,
he said, was between 5000 and
5000 men.
In a ringing order of the day
read to the 100000 troops under
his command, Gen. Navarro said
tersely "the fight continues"
Last Poignant Hours.
Gen. Rene Cogny's headquar-
ters at Hanoi in series of COM
muniques gave the last poignant
hours of the fortress. The time
sequence indicated that Dien
Bien Phu had fallen shortly after
10 pm.
Gen. Cogny's communiQueS:
7:45 pm: Throughout all the
day it is the end of the earrisons.
The Wet Mimi attack without
respite. At the end of the NOR
ming Gen. (Vo Nguyen) Clap
launched two waves Of fresh
troops, held until then in reserve,
against the two strongpoints on
the eastern face of the en-
trenched camp. These tw @
strongpointS finally succumbed.
7:5O: Since the start Of the
fourth Wet Mimi assault against
Diem Bien Phu came during the
night of May 6 to z the Wet
Minh seized four strong points