April 24, 1954: French troops launch a counterattack to recapture Base 206 and the airport area

On the morning of April 24, 1954, French troops mobilised the Second Legion Parachute Battalion and five tanks, equipped with artillery and air force support, to launch a fierce counterattack to knock Vietnamese soldiers out of Base 206 and the airport area.

The French air force dropped 600 bombs on this area in an attempt to destroy the Vietnamese forces and provide cover for their infantry and tanks during the counterattack.

The fighting took place fiercely. When the French broke into Vietnamese Company 213's battlefield, Battalion Commander Nguyen Quoc Tri asked his soldiers to move back temporarily and ordered the 105mm howitzer to fire directly at the enemy battlefield.

Bodies of French soldiers hit by howitzers lay in soggy trenches. The French's counterattack was repelled.

Groups 308 and 312 dug trenches to cut the airport runway in half. Muong Thanh Airport was completely occupied by Vietnamese soldiers.

After losing Bases 105, 206 and Muong Thanh Airport, the central battlefield of the enemy was only a narrow piece of land with an area of about 1 km2.

During the day, the enemy consolidated and reorganised their defence system at the bases they took control.

After unsuccessful counterattacks, under pressure from Vietnamese troops, they withdrew from Base Opéra and had their forces merge with the unit stationed at Base Huguette 2 (208).

In Paris, US Secretary of State Dulles offered to support France with two atomic bombs. But French Foreign Minister Bidault did not dare to accept, only asking the US to accelerate the Vautour plan.