Vietminh Troops Push Inside French Defence Line

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27397, 9 July 1954, Page 11

Vietminh Troops Push Inside French Defence Line

(N.Z.JPress Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11.15 p.m.) HANOI (Indo-China), July 7. Regular Communist-led Vietminh units pushed inside the new French Red River delta' defence line today from 1108111008 in the southern sector which the French abandoned last week. A high French Army source disclosed that elements of one Vietminh division, which had helped to crush Dien Bien Phu, had spread through much of the area north of Thai Binh, 55 miles south-east of Hanoi, and were infiltrating across the Bamboo Canal. The canal, about 40 miles southeast of Hanoi, is part of the new southern defence line." So far only small groups of the rebel division have penetrated the area, according to best available information here, but the territory long has been infiltrated by thousands of guerrillas and Vietminh sympathisers.

At the same time, the Vietminh were reported to be occupying the evacuated area south of Phuly and around Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh.

Three regular Vietminh divisions were poised at the edges of the delta along the western tier and along the western half of the northern sector. Those three, and three in the south, could smash directly at Hanoi, or could close a pincer east of Hanoi, thereby cutting this focal point of the fighting from the port of Haiphong. French High Command sources said, however, that there had been no indication so far of an imminent attack.

Many officers did not expect an allout attack against Hanoi or the remaining delta area as long as the French, were discussing the possibility of a cease-fire with the Vietminh. Air Raids by French

The French Air Force was in action today in Indo-China. Fifty planes dropped 80 tons of bombs on Communists threatening the HanoiHaiphong road and rail links and 50 more attacked infiltrating rebels along both sides of the land communications. Their chief task was to protect the workers repairing the road. Two goods trains were reported blown up on the railway on Tuesday.

Other local skirmishes were reported from central and southern Vietnam* The Vietminh launched harrassirfg attacks against French and Vietnamese military posts north and south of Tourane on the China Sea coast. Minor attacks were also directed against French positions near Hue, further north, while Communist units raided French positions 37 miles south-east of Hanoi and ambushed a French column only 11 miles northeast of Saigon. French losses were reported as light.