Evening star., 1954-05-21

Olen Blen Pnu tried 20 DO.
French Union aircraft para
chyted ammunition, guns and
food to Wet Namese defenders
Chinese Reds Messing Jets Neor For
moso. Poee At
with French I1on-commissioned
officers in the posts of Yen Phu,,
Anxa and Coquan.
They have been under constant
heavy mortar attack and ma
chinegun fire for nearly a fo~t-
night. Twice Anxa has thrown
back big Wet Mimi infantry as
saults. The defenders are out
numbered about 6 to /.
French fighters and bombers
are heavily hitting the beseiging
Communicated rebels. B-26s
have dropped scores of l.oo"-
pound delayed action bombs
timed to explode to kill reDsls
when they launch infantry as
saults nightly.
Red Assaults Smashed.
Thus far the Wet Mimi have
failed in all attempts to smash
into and capture either of the
posts.
The mud and wood constructed
fortS-with blockhouses and ma
chinegun pillboxes but no heavy
artillery-are in the heart of
ricef1eldS with limestone hills
nearby. From these hills the
Wet Mimi can pump over hun
dreds Of mortar shells to pave
the way for infantry charges.
Yen Phu is 6 miles south Of
Phu Ly. which is on a direct
highway to Hanoi. 80 miles to
the north. Anxa is IL miles
northwest of Thai Binh, which
is so miles southeast Of Hanoi.
Coquan is 8 miles northwest of
Thai Binh.
In the Phu Ly sector the Wet
Mini are estimated to have IL
battalions of regular troops. A
week ago 1000 Of them were
hurled back with heavy losses by
a defending French battalion in
an attempt to take a post a mile
away from Phu Ly and drive
into Phu Ly itself.
During the last fortnight the
Wet Mini have cut OF all road
communication with the three
posts and frightened encircle-
ment. French aircraft lost no
time starting an airlift to keep
the three posts supplied.
159 Wounded Evacuated.
Earlier the French command
said 159 wounded have been
brought out of Diem Bien Phu
and that it hoped to fly out 100
more today.
Helicopters and Beaver aircraft
were making the slow but steady
shuttle to the royal Laotian cap
ital of Luang Prabang where the
wounded are relayed to Hanoi by
Dakota transport.
The evacuation from Dien
Bien Phu was slowed down last
night by violent monsoon rains
which made flying impossible
for several hours. AS q result
only so were flown out yester-
day instead Of the scheduled
12O.
A high command spokesman
said there still was no word
about the fortress lone French
Air Force nurse-MiSs Genevieve
de Galard Terraube.
Nurse Still With Wounded.
Newly arrived casualties from
Dien Bien Phu said Miss de
Galard was with our wounded,
working day and night"
: One Foreign Legionnaire told
newsmen at Lanessan Hospital
that she was being helped by
five French male nurses. He
said they were. aiding a corps
Of some 20 captive doctors.
1t was not yet known whether
the rebels intend to repair Diem
Bien Phu's shell-pocked air strip
to permit big Dakota transports
to land and thus speed up the
evacuation.
The French said they would
go on with the slow. piecemeal
shuttle in hopes some improve
ment might be worked out at
the Geneva conference.
The French continued to drop
food and medical supplies to the
1000 wounded in the captured
Northwest Indo-C China fortress.
Yesterday four top French
generals went to LaneSSan Hos
pitaI in Hanoi to decorate
wounded survivors of the siege.
Leading the group was Gen.
Paul Ely, chairman Of Frances
joint chiefs of staff. Later the
generals conferred with key
French commanders from all
the vital sectors of the Red River
delta. Foremost was the Ques-
ton whether France is sending
enough troop reinforcements to
Indo- China by sea and air to
beat OF any n1cssive attacks on
the strategic delta.
Mai. Gen. John w. O'Daniel,
chief of the United States mill
tary aid advisory commission In
Indo- China. planned to leave
Saigon for Manila tomorrow to
confer with United States. Sec
retary of Defense Wilson. They
are expected to take up:
/. New aspects of the billion
dollar United States aid program
for Indo-C China in light Of Com
munist threats to the delta.
2. A plan for American officers
to participate In training Q Wet