Battle of Núi Bop The Battle of Nui Bop ( 3 – 4 January 1885 ) was a French victory during the Sino - French War . The battle was fought to clear Chinese forces away from the French forward base at Chu , and was an essential preliminary to the Lang Son Campaign in February 1885 . Background . In late September 1884 large detachments of the Guangxi Army advanced from Lang Son and probed into the Luc Nam valley , announcing their presence by ambushing the French gunboats " Hache " and " Massue " on 2 October . General Louis Brière de l ' Isle , the French commander - in - chief , responded immediately , transporting nearly 3 , 000 French soldiers to the Luc Nam valley aboard a flotilla of gunboats and attacking the Chinese detachments before they could concentrate . In the Kep Campaign ( 2 to 15 October 1884 ) , three French columns under the overall command of General François de Négrier fell upon the separated detachments of the Guangxi Army and successively defeated them in engagements at Lam ( 6 October ) , Kép ( 8 October ) and Chu ( 10 October ) . In the wake of these French victories the Chinese fell back to Bac Le and Dong Song , and de Négrier established important forward positions at Kep and Chu , which threatened the Guangxi Army ' s base at Lang Son . Chu was only a few miles southwest of the Guangxi Army ' s advanced posts at Dong Song , and on 16 December 1884 a strong Chinese raiding detachment ambushed two companies of the Foreign Legion just to the east of Chu , at Ha Ho . The legionnaires fought their way out of the Chinese encirclement , but suffered a number of casualties and had to abandon their dead on the battlefield . De Négrier immediately brought up reinforcements and pursued the Chinese , but the raiders made good their retreat to Dong Song . Although the Guangxi Army had been forced to retreat in the October battles , its commanders had not given up all hope of breaking into the Delta . Driven partly by sheer hunger and partly by the knowledge that the French would sooner or later move against Lang Son , the Chinese renewed their efforts to gain a foothold in the Luc Nam valley in December . The action at Ha Ho was the first indication that a major move was afoot . A week after this engagement a force of 12 , 000 Chinese troops from the Guangxi Army occupied the distinctive conical hill of Nui Bop , eighteen kilometres to the east of Chu , and began to lay out a large fortified camp . The Chinese force was under the command of Wang Debang , one of the Guangxi Army ' s more competent generals , who had defeated a French column in June 1884 in the Bac Le ambush . The famished Chinese soldiers plundered all the villages in the area for food , earning the hatred and resentment of the Tonkinese farmers whose livelihood they were destroying . On 23 December the villagers of Lien Son came to the French headquarters at Chu and alerted Lieutenant - Colonel Donnier to the presence of a large Chinese force around Nui Bop . The French could not allow a force of 12 , 000 Chinese to remain at Nui Bop , uncomfortably close to their main base at Chu and threatening the flank of the expeditionary corps when it eventually set off for Lang Son . Brière de l ' Isle reinforced the Chu garrison in late December , and in early January 1885 de Négrier was ordered to take the offensive against the Chinese . De Négrier ' s column was drawn from both the 1st and 2nd Brigades of the Tonkin Expeditionary Corps . It included a marine infantry battalion under the command of " chef de bataillon " Mahias , de Mibielle ’ s Turco battalion and two companies of Tonkinese riflemen . The column also included the 111th and 143rd Line battalions and Jourdy and de Saxcé ’ s batteries . Battle . 3 January . Instead of marching directly east from Chu to attack the Chinese frontally , de Négrier decided to cross to the southern bank of the Luc Nam river and make a wide flank march to come in on the Chinese left . To divert the enemy ’ s attention while his main column marched around the Chinese , " chef de bataillon " Diguet ' s Legion battalion in Chu would demonstrate against their front . The column set off from Chu at 6 am on 3 January . Commandant Mahias led the advance guard , consisting of his own marine infantry battalion , Jourdy ’ s battery and the Tonkinese Rifles , while Lieutenant - Colonel Paul - Gustave Herbinger led the main body ( the other three infantry battalions and de Saxcé ’ s battery ) . A small rearguard protected the baggage train . After a short march the column reached the ford of Kao Ka and crossed to the southern bank of the Luc Nam . The crossing was completed by 8 am , and the column then marched eastwards to the ford of Dao Be . The French had been told that the ford could be crossed easily , but they discovered that the northern bank of the Luc Nam river was more than nine feet high at Dao Be and almost sheer . The crossing took three hours . It was not until 4 pm that the main body of the column was able to resume its march . While the crossing was still in progress , de Négrier sent Mahias ahead with the advance guard . Mahias pushed on along the path to Phong Cot , and at 4 . 15 pm reported back that the enemy was in sight . Less than a mile away a long line of Chinese infantry was drawn up across the floor and up the sides of the Phong Cot valley . In front of this force groups of skirmishers had advanced to within 800 metres of the Luc Nam to occupy a wood . The French column had been spotted fording the river , and the delay in completing the crossing had given the Chinese just enough time to prepare to meet its attack . De Négrier had failed to achieve the surprise he had hoped for . The French column advanced to contact in three lines . The first line consisted of Mahias ’ battalion , the Tonkinese Rifles and Jourdy ’ s battery . The second line contained the 111th and 143rd Line Battalions and de Saxcé ’ s battery . De Mibielle ’ s 3rd Algerian Rifle Battalion formed a third line . The French artillery took position on a hill to the right of the path and opened fire on the Chinese skirmishers , while de Négrier gave his orders for the attack . The marine infantry were ordered to attack the wood frontally , while the 143rd Battalion was to climb the hills to the right to flank the enemy ’ s position and push back the Chinese left wing into the Phong Cot valley . The 111th Battalion and de Mibielle ’ s Algerians would remain in reserve near the artillery . Mahias had little trouble in driving the Chinese skirmishers out of the wood . He deployed three of the four companies of his battalion to attack the wood both frontally and from the flank , while holding the fourth company in reserve . Meanwhile the Tonkinese riflemen took up position on his right to link the marine infantry with the 143rd Battalion . The enemy skirmishers quickly fell back , and reformed on a small hill behind the wood . Captain Salles , whose company had just helped to clear the wood , pushed on and drove the enemy off the hill . This action took Salles well beyond the other three companies of his battalion and into a hail of Chinese rifle fire from the heights on both sides of the Phong Cot valley , which were held by strong Chinese flanking forces . To disengage Salles ’ s company it was necessary for the artillery to switch targets while the rest of Mahias ’ battalion and the 143rd Battalion attacked on both sides of it to drive back the enemy wings . Salles withdrew his men to the wood , and the marine infantry battalion reformed and consolidated the ground it had won . Farret ' s 143rd Line Battalion now delivered its own attack on the enemy right , with two companies in the front line and two in reserve . The advance was difficult , as the Chinese held their positions stubbornly , but eventually the battalion established a lodgement on the high ground close to the enemy positions . However , its movement towards the right had created a hole in the centre of the French line , and a Chinese unit advanced into this gap to counterattack . Lieutenant Desloge , with one of the two reserve companies of the 143rd Battalion , drove off this counterattack and then pushed on to the heights to support the main attack . The Chinese soldiers facing de Négrier ’ s men in this part of the field wore a distinctive covering of tawny material with black stripes on their heads and shoulders . They were , the French were later told , from the Imperial Tiger Regiment , a Yellow Banner unit entirely composed of Tartars . As Desloge and his handful of men bore down on them , the Tigers delivered a panicky close - range volley . They fired high , and missed their targets altogether . Before the French could reach them with their bayonets they broke and ran , leaving their dead behind them . They also abandoned their regimental standard , a magnificent flag in yellow silk embroidered with gold . The leading French units pressed on and cleared the Chinese from the hills around Phong Cot , while the rest of de Négrier ’ s column continued its crossing of the Luc Nam . The Chinese made a half - hearted attempt to counterattack the 143rd Battalion , but their troops were driven off . By nightfall the entire French column was across the river and in position to the south of Phong Cot . De Négrier believed that the Chinese were demoralised , and was anxious to seize Phong Cot itself before they could rally . Accordingly , just before midnight , he ordered Herbinger to move forward and occupy the village . The French capture of the nearby hills had made it untenable , and the Chinese had evacuated it under cover of darkness . Herbinger met no resistance , and ordered Faure ’ s 111th Battalion to garrison the village . Faure placed three of the battalion ’ s four companies inside Phong Cot and Verdier ’ s company in a forward position beyond it . 4 January . Just before dawn on 4 January the Chinese made a furious counterattack in an attempt to recapture Phong Cot . The attack was supported by the Chinese artillery in the Western Fort . Within minutes the attackers had surrounded Verdier ’ s company in its isolated forward position . While his company tried to defend itself with close - range rifle fire Verdier ordered one of his men to try to make his way through the Chinese lines back to Phong Cot and ask for help . A young private soldier named Meffret crept cautiously through the Chinese lines in the fading gloom of night and reached Phong Cot , where he delivered Verdier ' s message to Lieutenant - Colonel Herbinger . Herbinger , perhaps believing that Meffret was exaggerating the danger , responded by sending forward from Phong Cot a single section of the 111th Battalion — a mere ten men . Fortunately for Verdier , there were other officers on the field who could better appreciate the gravity of the situation . Captain Tailland , whose marine infantry company was posted on a hill to the west of Phong Cot , could see that Verdier ’ s company would be annihilated unless it was brought immediate relief . Without waiting for orders , he led his own men to the rescue . By now Verdier ’ s men were being pressed so closely by the Chinese that their captain ordered them to charge to throw them back . Although Verdier was wounded as he led his men forward , his bold lunge took the Chinese completely by surprise . As the Chinese fell back and regrouped , Tailland ' s " marsouins " came up on Verdier ' s left flank and moved into line alongside Verdier ’ s men . The two French companies caught their breath , reformed , counterattacked and drove the Chinese off . Verdier and Tailland were both later mentioned in despatches for their courage and initiative . The Chinese did not attempt to take the offensive again . De Négrier went forward to the heights occupied by the marine infantry and scouted the Chinese positions . The main Chinese defence line consisted of a trench between Phong Cot and the Siou Nien River , which protected the road that ran from Lien Son to Cao Say . This trench was flanked on both sides by two forts on elevated ground ( Western Fort and Eastern Fort ) . Behind the Siou Nien river , on the lower slopes of the Nui Bop massif , were several Chinese forts . During the morning of 4 January de Négrier directed several French attacks which pushed the enemy back from all his positions . The first French objective was a fort on a hill behind the village of Tay Toun , not far from the marine infantry positions . Mahias ' s battalion attacked and took this fort with little difficulty . To its right the 111th Battalion , profiting from the confusion in the Chinese ranks caused by Verdier ’ s counterattack , advanced on the main Chinese positions . The battalion charged the Chinese trench with the bayonet , driving its defenders out with equal ease . Lieutenant de Colomb ’ s platoon , thoroughly over - excited , pushed on towards a Chinese redoubt defended by several hundred men . Had it attempted to charge this position it would doubtless have been repulsed with heavy losses . However , the river was too deep to cross at this point , and the platoon was forced to halt its advance . Meanwhile the 143rd Battalion and the Algerian Rifles were ordered to make a turning movement around the enemy left . The French artillery punished the enemy positions which it took in the flank , since these positions faced southwards towards Chu . At 11 . 15 am the entire entrenched camp was in French hands . The French took possession of two abandoned Krupp artillery batteries and large quantities of rifles , clothes , tents and food . Several Chinese battle flags were also taken , and a number of mules and horses . Aftermath . French casualties at Nui Bop were relatively light : 19 dead and 65 wounded . The French wounded included three officers , Captain Verdier and Lieutenant Simoni of the 111th Line Battalion and 2nd Lieutenant Larribe of the Tonkinese Rifles . The Chinese abandoned 600 corpses in their retreat , and their total casualties must have been far higher . The French scoured the battlefield during the afternoon of 4 January , and killed all the wounded Chinese soldiers they could find with pistol shots to the head . Several dozen Chinese soldiers may have been despatched in this way . A number of unwounded Chinese soldiers were taken prisoner by the French at Nui Bop and subsequently interrogated for their knowledge of the Guangxi Army ' s order of battle . These men were released at the end of the war with small gratuities . Order of the day . On 5 January 1885 General Brière de l ' Isle issued the following order of the day to commemorate the victory at Nui Bop : Deux brillants succès pour le corps expéditionnaire ouvrent l ’ année 1885 . Le 3 janvier , après une marche habilement dérobée aux yeux de l ’ ennemi , le général de Négrier tombait , à quatre heures du soir , sur un cantonnement de 6 , 000 réguliers et , malgré leur vive résistance , les mettait , en moins de deux heures , en pleine déroute sans que l ’ obscurité de nuit lui permit de poursuivre ce premier succès . Nos troupes couchaient sur les positions enlevées . Le lendemain , avant le jour , les Chinois , au nombre de 12 , 000 , recommençaient la lutte par un vigoureux retour offensif . Repoussés , poursuivis et enfin rejetés sur Nui - Bop , ils étaient en pleine déroute avant midi . Le centre de résistance de Nui - Bop , défendu par huit forts solidement organisés , est entre nos mains , avec deux batteries Krupp , ainsi que tout le matériel de l ’ ennemi : tentes , vivres , munitions , armes et étendards . Les cadavres de 600 réguliers chinois tués ont été abandonnés par les fuyards . De notre côté , MM . Verdier , capitaine au 111e , Simoni , lieutenant au même corps , Larribe , sous - lieutenant d ’ infanterie de marine , sont blessés sans gravité . Parmi nos braves soldats , 19 tués et 63 blessés . ( 1885 has opened with two splendid successes for the expeditionary corps . On 3 January , after a march skillfully concealed from the enemy ’ s eyes , General de Négrier fell upon a cantonment of 6 , 000 regulars at 4 pm and would have completely routed them , despite their lively resistance , in less than two hours had not nightfall prevented him from pursuing his initial success . Our troops slept on the positions they had captured . Before dawn on the following day 12 , 000 Chinese made a vigorous counterattack . Repelled , pursued and finally thrown back on Nui Bop , they were in full flight before midday . Nui Bop , the centre of their resistance , defended by eight solidly organized forts , is in our hands , with two Krupp batteries and all the enemy ’ s material : tents , food , ammunition , weapons and standards . The bodies of 600 dead Chinese regulars were abandoned by their fleeing comrades . On our part Captain Verdier and Lieutenant Simoni of the 111th and 2nd Lieutenant Larribe of the marine infantry were lightly wounded . Losses among our brave soldiers were 19 dead and 63 wounded . ) Significance . De Nègrier ' s victory at Nui Bop , won at odds of just under one to ten , was regarded by his fellow - officers as the most spectacular professional triumph of his career . By clearing the Guangxi Army away from Nui Bop , de Nègrier removed a threat to the French right flank and gave the French base at Chu the air it needed for the major campaign against Lang Son . With the Western Fort at Nui Bop in French hands , the expeditionary corps was able to use the Nui Bop plain to establish the large magazines of food and ammunition that would be needed for the Lang Son expedition . French strategy in Tonkin had been the subject of a bitter debate in the Chamber of Deputies in late December 1884 . The army minister General Jean - Baptiste - Marie Campenon argued that the French should consolidate their hold on the Delta . His opponents urged an all - out offensive to throw the Chinese out of northern Tonkin . The debate culminated in Campenon ' s resignation and his replacement as army minister by the hawkish General Jules Lewal . On 5 January 1885 , the day after de Nègrier ' s victory at Nui Bop , Lewal ordered Brière de l ’ Isle to ' capture Lang Son as soon as possible ' . A month later , after concentrating his forces in the plain of Chu , Briere de l ' Isle launched the Lang Son Campaign , a successful ten - day campaign to capture Lang Son .