Battle of Mạo Khê

Battle of Mạo Khê
Part of the First Indochina War
DateMarch 23–28, 1951
Location
Result

French Union victory

Belligerents

French Union

 Democratic Republic of Vietnam

Commanders and leaders
Jean de Lattre de Tassigny Võ Nguyên Giáp
Strength
400 troops
reinforced by 6e BPC
3 destroyers
2 landing craft
102nd/308th
141st/312th
209th/312th
36th/308th
in all about 11,000 troops
Casualties and losses
40 killed
150 wounded
Viet Minh claim: 134 killed, 426 wounded, 14 missing
French claimed: 2,000–3,000 killed, wounded or captured

The Battle of Mạo Khê (Vietnamese: Mạo Khê, [mâːwˀ ]), occurring from March 23 to March 28, 1951, was a significant engagement in the First Indochina War between the French Union and the communist Việt Minh. The French Union forces, including the French Far East Expeditionary Corps and Vietnamese National Army, led by World War II hero Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, inflicted a defeat on Việt Minh forces, which were commanded by General Võ Nguyên Giáp. However this victory of the French Union (France and State of Vietnam) against the Việt Minh, unlike their success in Vĩnh Yên before, was not decisive. The Việt Minh would attack again shortly afterwards.