March 28, 1954: General Command issued orders to 312th, 316th, 308th, 304th, and 351st Regiments

On March 28, 1954, the General Command issued Order No.83-ML/B1, which determined the second attack to “Concentrate absolute superiority in firepower, destroy all the eastern region of Muong Thanh, creating adequate conditions for our troops to switch to a general attack to destroy all enemy troops in Dien Bien Phu”; assign specific tasks to units: 312th Army to destroy bases 201 (D1), 201A (D2), enemy artillery position at 210, the mobile part of Vietnam's 5th parachute battalion.
The enemy’s eastern area of Muong Thanh after being attacked by Vietnamese troops. (Photo: VNA)
The enemy’s eastern area of Muong Thanh after being attacked by Vietnamese troops. (Photo: VNA)

The 316th Regiment (missing one regiment) destroyed points 301 (A1), 302 (C1), 304 (C2), coordinated with friendly units to destroy the 6th colony parachute battalion or part of the battalion Vietnam Airborne No.5. After destroying the enemy, they left behind a portion of their forces to renovate the fortifications, prevented the enemy from counter-attacking and retaking them, and at the same time organised a firepower battle to control and kill the enemy troops in Muong Thanh.

The 308th Regiment destroyed the enemy's hidden areas, including the 2nd Thai battalion and enemy artillery positions, coordinated with the 98th Regiment to destroy the 6th colonial parachute battalion and used firepower to restrain enemy artillery in western Muong Thanh and used small forces to restrain bases 106 and 310; arranged parachute attack forces to the west and southwest of Muong Thanh, blocking enemy reinforcements from Hong Cum.

Group 304 effectively restrained enemy artillery at Hong Cum; blocked reinforcements from going from Hong Cum to Muong Thanh, and destroyed enemy paratroopers around and south of Hong Cum.

Group 351: Howitzers supported infantry attacking enemy strongholds; suppressed and destroyed enemy artillery, destroyed a mobile element of the enemy; restrained enemy artillery in Muong Thanh and Hong Cum. Anti-aircraft artillery supported howitzers and infantry fighting day and night.

On the same day, Major General Hoang Van Thai, Deputy Chief of General Staff, issued Directive No.84/A1 on organising firepower and artillery coordination in the attack to destroy enemy troops in the eastern area of Muong Thanh.

Also, on March 28, 1954, at the Dien Bien Phu battlefield, the 43rd French plane was shot down by the Vietnamese army’s anti-aircraft artillery.