Word: airlifts
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...could be pointed out that when the life of a fortress depends upon an airlift, the first need is to ensure the protection of the landing strip and to build it outside the reach of enemy artillery. But they wanted to install themselves in a basin without occupying the surrounding hills, and the terrain was neutralized from the first day of the battle. And our artillery proved so powerless to locate the enemy guns that the colonel responsible committed suicide in his bunker on March 14th, by blowing himself up with a hand grenade...
...scene: India's Upper House of Parliament. The issue: U.S. airlift of French reinforcements across Asia to Indo-China. The question from the floor: Would the U.S. Globemasters "transgress" Indian territory? Prime Minister Nehru's reply: "It has been the policy of the government for the past six years not to allow foreign troops to pass through or fly over India." There was indeed such an Indian policy, but Nehru chose to restate it in a desperate hour when his remarks would give sharp offense to the U.S. (see NATIONAL AFFAIRS). Parliament got the point; M.P.s cheered...
...Force. One of the world's great air tacticians, "Uncle Joe" Cannon put in more time in uniform than any other Air officer (37 years), commanded the Twelfth Air Force during World War II and the U.S. Air Force in Germany during most of the Berlin airlift. He replaces Wendell S. Fletcher, who will continue to serve as corporation president...
Problem No. 3 was Giap's buildup. His 37-mm. antiaircraft guns were effectively harassing the French supply airlift to Dienbienphu, and his guerrillas were raiding French supply routes and depots near Hanoi. But Giap was able to move reinforcements and ammunition to his 40,000-man striking force in 200 new Molotov trucks down two open roads from Red China. The French could do almost nothing to stop him: they needed their very few combat planes for Dienbienphu itself...
...stronghold, isolated between the Red River delta and Laos, was even more a psychological than a military pivot of the war. The French seized the saucer last November, built it into a bastion with a tireless airlift and talked of sucking the forces of wily Communist General Vo Nguyen Giap into an attack that they felt might hurt him sorely. For Giap, on the other hand, Dienbienphu became a challenge; to reduce the fortress could well deal a deadly blow to France's resolve to fight on in Indo-China...