Editing Battle of Dien Bien Phu (section)

=== 30 March – 5 April assaults ===
{{Further|Operation Condor (1954)}}
[[File:Dien Bien Phu zoom.svg|350px|thumbnail|Central French positions at Điện Biên Phủ, late March 1954. The positions in Eliane saw some of the most intense combat of the entire battle.]]

The next phase of the battle saw more massed Viet Minh assaults against French positions in central Điện Biên Phủ – particularly at ''Eliane'' and ''Dominique'', the two remaining outposts east of the Nam Yum River. Those two areas were held by five understrength battalions, composed of Frenchmen, Legionnaires, Vietnamese, North Africans, and Tais.{{sfn|Davidson|1988|p=245}} Giáp planned to use the tactics from the ''Beatrice'' and ''Gabrielle'' skirmishes.{{cn|date=March 2022}}

At 19:00 on 30 March, the Viet Minh 312th Division captured ''Dominique'' 1 and 2, making ''Dominique'' 3 the final outpost between the Viet Minh and the French general headquarters, as well as outflanking all positions east of the river.<ref name="d246">{{harvnb|Davidson|1988|p=246}}</ref> At this point, the French 4th Colonial Artillery Regiment entered the fight, setting its 105&nbsp;mm howitzers to zero elevation and firing directly on the Viet Minh attackers, blasting huge holes in their ranks. Another group of French soldiers, near the airfield, opened fire on the Viet Minh with anti-aircraft machine guns, forcing the Viet Minh to retreat.<ref name="d246" />

The Viet Minh's simultaneous attacks elsewhere were more successful. The 316th Division captured ''Eliane'' 1 from its Moroccan defenders, and half of ''Eliane'' 2 by midnight.<ref name="d247">{{harvnb|Davidson|1988|p=247}}</ref> On the west side of Điện Biên Phủ, the 308th attacked ''Huguette'' 7, and nearly succeeded in breaking through, but a French sergeant took charge of the defenders and sealed the breach.<ref name="d247" />

Just after midnight on 31 March, the French launched a counterattack against ''Eliane'' 2, and recaptured it. Langlais ordered another counterattack the following afternoon against ''Dominique'' 2 and ''Eliane'' 1, using virtually "everybody left in the garrison who could be trusted to fight".<ref name="d247" /> The counterattacks allowed the French to retake ''Dominique'' 2 and ''Eliane'' 1, but the Viet Minh launched their own renewed assault. The French, who were exhausted and without reserves, fell back from both positions late in the afternoon.{{sfn|Davidson|1988|p=248}} Reinforcements were sent north from ''Isabelle'', but were attacked en route and fell back to ''Isabelle''.

[[File:French M24s atr Dien Bien Phu.jpg|thumb|350px|The French deployed a small number of [[M24 Chaffee]] light tanks (US supplied) during the battle which they nicknamed "[[Bison]]s". The Viet Minh countered these with heavy artillery and rocket-propelled grenade launchers (RPGs).]]

Shortly after dark on 31 March, Langlais told Bigeard, who was leading the defense at ''Eliane'' 2, to fall back from ''Eliane'' 4. Bigeard refused, saying "As long as I have one man alive I won't let go of ''Eliane'' 4. Otherwise, Dien Bien Phu is done for."<ref name="roy210">{{harvnb|Roy|2002|p=210}}</ref> The night of 31 March, the 316th Division attacked ''Eliane'' 2. Just as it appeared the French were about to be overrun, a few French tanks arrived from the central garrison, and helped push the Viet Minh back. Smaller attacks on ''Eliane'' 4 were also pushed back. The Viet Minh briefly captured ''Huguette'' 7, only to be pushed back by a French counterattack at dawn on 1 April.<ref name="d253">{{harvnb|Davidson|1988|p=253}}</ref>

Fighting continued in this manner over the next several nights. The Viet Minh repeatedly attacked ''Eliane'' 2, only to be beaten back. Repeated attempts to reinforce the French garrison by parachute drops were made, but had to be carried out by lone planes at irregular times to avoid excessive casualties from Viet Minh anti-aircraft fire. Some reinforcements did arrive, but not enough to replace French casualties.<ref name="d253" />