free french 6th commando c.l.i. in saigon saluted surrendered japanese in november 1945.
by september 23, of saigon in french hands, less half dozen vital positions in viet minh control. french subsequently regained total control of saigon. on day, former french prisoners of war had been reinstated army troops 5th ric ejected viet minh in coup in 2 french soldiers killed.
on night of 24/25 vietnamese reacted mob (not under viet minh control) , abducted , butchered large number of french , french-vietnamese men, women, , children. on 25th, viet minh attacked , set fire city s central market area, while group attacked tan son nhut airfield. airfield attack repelled gurkhas, 1 british soldier killed along half dozen viet minh. british had war on hands, mountbatten had sought avoid.
for next few days, parties of armed viet minh clashed british patrols, viet minh suffering mounting losses each encounter. british soldiers highly professional , experienced troops had finished battling japanese; many officers , soldiers had experienced internal security , guerrilla warfare in india , north west frontier. in contrast, though viet minh courageous, still learning how fight war.
in october, gracey held talks viet minh , truce agreed upon. on 5th, general philippe leclerc, senior french commander, arrived in saigon , troops placed under gracey s command. however, on october 10, state of semi-peace viet minh broken unprovoked attack on small british engineering party inspecting water lines near tan son nhut airfield. of engineering party killed or wounded. gracey accepted fact level of insurrection such first have pacify key areas before repatriate japanese. @ time small force had been strengthened arrival of second infantry brigade, 32nd, under brigadier e.c.v. woodford. gracey deployed 32nd brigade saigon s troublesome northern suburbs of gò vấp , gia Định. once in area viet minh fell before force, included armoured car support indian 16th light cavalry.
aerial reconnaissance spitfires revealed roads approaching saigon blocked: viet minh attempting strangle city. on october 13, tan son nhut came under attack again viet minh; commandos , sappers able time come within 275m of control tower. @ doors of radio station before attack blunted indian , japanese soldiers. viet minh fell airfield, japanese ordered pursue them until nightfall, when contact broken.
by mid-october, 307 viet minh had been killed british/indian troops , 225 killed japanese troops, including new body count of 80 more viet minh @ da lat. on 1 occasion, japanese repulsed attack on headquarters @ phú lâm, killing 100 viet minh. british, french, , japanese casualties small comparison. on 17th, third brigade, 100th, commanded brigadier c.h.b. rodham, arrived in indochina.
viet minh attacks on saigon s infrastructure
the viet minh next assaulted saigon s vital points—the power plant, docks, airfield, , third time, city s artesian wells. periodically, saigon blacked out @ night , sound of small arms, grenades, mines, mortars, , artillery became familiar throughout city. unable overwhelm saigon s defences, viet minh intensified siege tactics. during time, newly arrived french troops given task of helping break siege while aggressive british patrolling kept viet minh off-balanced.
on october 25, known evidence of direct soviet involvement in area came about, when japanese patrol captured russian adviser near thủ dầu một. handed on lieutenant-colonel cyril jarvis, commander of 1/1 gurkha rifles @ thủ dầu một. jarvis tried several attempts @ interrogation, fruitless, intruder handed on sûreté, french criminal investigation department (equivalent cid). there disappeared annals of history.
on october 29, british formed strong task force objective of pushing viet minh further away saigon. force called gateforce after commander, lt.-col. gates of 14/13th frontier force rifles. gateforce consisted of indian infantry, artillery, , armoured cars, , japanese infantry battalion. during operations killed around 190 viet minh; during 1 operation around xuân lộc, east of saigon, japanese killed 50 viet minh when surprised viet minh group in training.
japanese pow s under british supervision repairing taxiing strip @ saigon airfield, behind them raf de havilland mosquito aircraft, december 1945
on november 18, gurkha unit set out long kiến, south of saigon, rescue french hostages held there. while en route, force forced turn not strong enough overcome viet minh encountered. few days later stronger force dispatched. according gurkhas, had seen japanese deserters leading viet minh war parties. during operation kukri (nepalese knife) charge in whole campaign occurred. according gurkha platoon leader, @ 1 point during operation held determined viet minh defenders occupying old french fort. gurkhas brought bazooka, blew in doors, without hesitation drew out kukris , charged fort, putting defenders knife. long kien reached on same day, no hostages recovered; however, 80 viet minh had been killed during operation.
by december, gracey able turn on saigon s northern suburbs french, when 32 brigade relinquished responsibility general valluy s 9th colonial infantry division. on christmas day, 32nd set out borneo. many of newly arrived french soldiers ex-maquis (french resistance), not accustomed military discipline.
during battles of south central highlands, viet minh forced french troops leave many villages , newly captured positions in central highlands. town of buôn ma thuột regained vietnamese in mid-december. during operation spitfires of 273 squadron raf executed acknowledged offensive action against viet minh on 11 december.
on 3 january 1946 last big battle occurred between british , viet minh. 900 viet minh attacked 14/13 frontier force rifles camp @ biên hòa. fighting lasted throughout night, , when on 100 attackers had been killed without loss of single british or indian soldier. viet minh casualties result of british machine-gun crossfire.
in mid-january, viet minh began avoid large-scale attacks on british, french, , japanese forces. began take on fighting characteristics later became common: ambushes, hit-and-run raids, , assassinations, while british, french, , japanese patrolled , conducted security sweeps. first modern unconventional war, , although viet minh had sufficient manpower sustain long campaign, beaten well-led professional troops familiar asian jungle , countryside.
by end of month, 80 brigade handed on theater of operations french, , 100 brigade withdrawn saigon. gracey flew out on 28th. before departure, signed control on french forces gen. leclerc. last british forces left on march 26, ending seven-month intervention in vietnam; , on march 30, ss islami took aboard last 2 british/indian battalions in vietnam. single company of 2/8 punjab remained guard allied control mission in saigon, , on may 15 left, mission having been disbanded day earlier french became responsible getting remaining japanese home. last british troops die in vietnam 6 soldiers killed in ambush in june 1946.
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