Upper Laos Campaign (1954) was of strategic and operational significance , aimed at annihilating the enemy's strength, liberating the land and scattering the  strategic mobile forces of the French colonialist, isolating the Dien Bien Phu fortified camp installation. Many valuable experiences and lessons have been drawn from the campaign. 

Pathet Lao liberating Sam Neua, Houaphan province

On January 26, 1954, the General Headquarters decided  to deploy Regimental Group  308 and Regiment 148 to launch a campaign in Upper Laos, in which Regimental Group  308 was the main force in the southern area – Luong Prabang direction with the mission to crack  down the enemy’s “strategic corridor” in Upper Laos. This was the defense line that was built along Nam Hu river to defend the Upper Laos region, shielding Dien Bien Phu and creating a retreat route from Dien Bien Phu to Laos when necessary. Assaulting  the defense line along Nam Hu river was of important significance; on the one hand, it deepened the enemy’s false estimation, creating a favorable condition for our forces in Dien Bien Phu Battlefield to complete preparation following the new combat method; on the other hand, it was prepared for the “readiness” to cut off the retreat route of the enemy from Dien Bien Phu to Laos (according to the enemy’s Senophone plan) isolating the Dien Bien Phu fortified camp installation. Although the campaign was not large in scale, it was so much strategically significant. With high combat determination and efforts to overcome difficulties and hardships, the forces that engaged in the Campaign had successfully completed the assigned missions, with many unique features of the military art, notably:

1. To  correctly assess the situation and to employ force scientifically and efficiently. The Upper Laos Campaign was launched in utmost urgent conditions, the targets were hundreds of kilometers away, conditions to support the campaign were extremely difficult. Therefore, the General Headquarters allowed the Regimental Group  308 to determine themselves the scale of forces engaging in the Campaign . Based on the information sources and estimation of the situation, the Headquarters of the Regimental Group  determined that the enemy forces that garrisoned in Nam Hu River were relatively crowded (about 06 battalions), stationed in the important and very difficult to access  position that stretched from the Pac U , Muong Ngoi to Muong Khoa. The combat area was wide. The terrain was full of obstacles and difficult to  access. If we assaulted with forces that did not overwhelm the enemy, it would be difficult to win. Moreover, the enemy here was knowledgeable about the locality, if they retreated or contracted to preserve the clumped forces, it was necessary to have offensive forces of enough strength to undertake a constant pursuit. From that judgment, the Regimental Group’s HQ decided to deploy all its troops to participate in the Operation. To improve the speed of maneuverability and a quick deployment of the combat forces, the Regimental Group  organized 02 wings of troops secretly marching into the Upper Laos area, on each wing the Regimental Group  all deployed its advance party with the mission of learning about the enemy, road-building, preparing combat plans, contacting the Pathet Laos troops and the Laos revolutionary bases to mobilize local people to support provision for the troops.

2. To absolutely take advantage of the terrain, accelerating the maneuvering speed, to efficiently pursue and attack  the enemy on many directions. On being informed of our regular troops leaving Dien Bien Phu and advancing into Upper Laos and was approaching Nam Hu River defense line, the enemy were so frantic and hastily retreated out of the defense line, fleeing away towards Muong Sai, Luong Prabang, so the distance between us and the enemy was quite far apart. So, accelerating the maneuvering speed to carry out an urgent attack and a vigorous pursuit was decisive to ensure the victory of the campaign. To this end, party committees and commanders of the units promptly and fully grasped the tasks, encouraging the morale of cadres and soldiers to pursue the enemy determinatively; at the same time, to actively study the situations, contacting our friends to find a shortcut, the shortest route that could be maneuvered. The most difficult issue at that point of time was river crossing. Due to the big size  of troops, and lack of boats, our soldiers had proactively looked for bamboos to make rafts to carry wounded soldiers and heavy weapons, using plastic canvas to wrap backpacks and clothes to serve as life buoys to swim across the river together in the combat-group formation. Thanks to ingenuity and creativity, close organization together with high determination, many units, sections were fearless of hunger, constantly maneuvered to catch up and surpassed the enemies, making them surprise and panic.

3. To grasp the opportunities; to actively collaborate; to flexibly employ forms of tactics and combat methods to pursue the enemy. The original purpose of the campaign was to destroy the enemy’s defense lines along Nam Hu river, but even when we had not start  to attack, the enemy had become  panic and retreated away from their posts. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Regimental Group  308 had timely shifted the combat method from attacking the enemy in the battlefield to assault the enemy on pursuing. During the operation, both advantages and disadvantages had been intertwined. The advantages were that the enemy was exposed out of their fortifications without support of the firepower; they were very worried and  unequable. Disadvantages were that the enemy situation was always evolving; we had to constantly maneuver; the combat preparation and combat collaboration had to be undertaken simultaneously during the process of maneuverability. In this situation, the Headquarters of the Regimental Group  308 reflected the will of military rulers, actively learning about the enemy, preparing for the operation, organizing route-guidance and ensuring communication... In particular, the units in the Regimental Group  promoted their independent combat spirit, flexible employment of forms of tactics, combat methods, such as pursuing, barricading, ambushing, catching early and attacking the contracted enemy in their retreat.

By Xuan Nguyen