Battle of Mao Khe The Battle of Mạo Khê ( ) , occurring from March 23 to March 28 , 1951 , was a significant engagement in the First Indochina War between the French Union and the Việt Minh . The French Union forces , led by World War II hero Jean de Lattre de Tassigny , inflicted a defeat on Việt Minh forces , which were commanded by General Võ Nguyên Giáp . The French Union victory , however , was not decisive and the Việt Minh would attack again shortly afterwards . Prelude . After suffering a heavy setback at the Battle of Vĩnh Yên , Giáp decided to attack the port of Hải Phòng , the centerpiece of French logistics . Giáp planned to breach the French defenses at Mạo Khê , which was about 20 miles north of the port . He hoped that the fresh 316th Division , supported by diversionary attacks from the 304th and 320th divisions , would be enough to break the French . Mạo Khê was poorly defended . It was encircled by a series of outposts , with the town itself held by an armored car platoon of the Moroccan Colonial Infantry . The Mạo Khê coal mine was located 1 , 000 meters ( 3 , 300 feet ) to the north of the town and was garrisoned by a company of partisans commanded by a Vietnamese lieutenant and three French NCO s . To the east of the town , a company from the 30th Senegalese Composite Battalion guarded a fortified Roman Catholic church . In total , the French had about 400 troops . Battle . After diversionary thrusts on 23 March , the Việt Minh began to assail Mạo Khê ’ s outposts later in the night . They had carried all major positions by 26 March and prepared for the main attack on the city . At this point , the anticipated communist attack stalled under heavy pressure from French naval forces , which had managed to approach Mạo Khê via a deep channel in the nearby Đà Bắc River . The Việt Minh ’ s losses were about 30 KIAs and 80 WIAs . De Lattre was uncertain of Giáp ’ s intentions , but he did send the 6th Colonial Parachute Battalion ( 6e BPC ) and some artillery batteries to relieve the beleaguered forces at Mạo Khê . Early in the morning of 27 March , the Việt Minh 209th Regiment of the 312nd Division launched a massive attack against the coal mine , whose defenders resisted until French B - 26s and Hellcats alleviated the pressure . After exhausting their ammunition , the partisans beat a skillful retreat to Mạo Khê . The Việt Minh ’ s losses were 46 KIAs , 209 WIAs , and 14 MIAs . At 02 : 00 on 28 March , the Việt Minh opened up a torrent of artillery and mortar fire against the town . The 36th Regiment of the 308th Division launched a number of mass infantry assaults which were repulsed by well - placed French artillery . The Việt Minh eventually entered the town and a bloody hand - to - hand confrontation began , although the momentum of the attack had petered out . The Vietnamese withdrew later in the morning with 58 KIAs and 137 WIAs . Aftermath . Casualties had been light for the French and , at around 3 , 000 , heavy for the Việt Minh by French estimates . Vietnamese figures are about 150 KIAs and 426 WIAs . Although the French had been victorious , Giáp ’ s losses were not nearly as bad as at Vĩnh Yên two months previously . Giáp would make another unsuccessful attempt to breach the French lines in late May . Sources . Setting the Stage in Vietnam