Atlas of Battles

campaign, Cold War

Operation Castor

Operation Castor was a campaign fought in 1953 at Điện Biên Phủ, in what is now Vietnam. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at Điện Biên Phủ. It was part of First Indochina War, which ran from 1946 to 1954. The recorded result: Successful establishment of the Dien Bien Phu outpost by the French Union. Recorded strength: 4,195 (as of 22 November) against One infantry battalion and one artillery battery.

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Fought1953
WhereĐiện Biên Phủ, Vietnam21.392N, 103.016E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeSuccessful establishment of the Dien Bien Phu outpost by the French Union
BelligerentsFrench Union; France; French Indochina; State of VietnamagainstNorth Vietnam; Việt Minh
Casualties and lossesBy 20 November: 11 killed,; 52 woundedand92 killed; 15 captured
Part ofFirst Indochina War1946 to 1954

Where it sits in First Indochina War

Battle of Hanoi, 1946Operation Papillon, 1947Operation Léa, 1947Battle of Phu Tong Hoa, 1948Battle of Cao Bang, 1949Battle of Dong Khe, 1950Battle of Route Coloniale 4, 1950Battle of Vinh Yen, 1951Battle of the Day River, 1951Battle of Nghia Lo, 1951Battle of Hoa Binh, 1951Battle of Nghĩa Lộ, 1952Operation Lorraine, 1952Battle of Na San, 1952Operation Hirondelle, 1953Operation Adolphe, 1953Battle of Muong Khoua, 1953Operation Camargue, 1953Operation Mouette, 1953Operation Castor, 1953Battle of Mang Yang Pass, 1954Operation Atlante, 1954Battle of Dien Bien Phu, 195419461954Operation Castor, 1953
23 placed engagements of First Indochina War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1953 (year precision)
to 1953
PlaceĐiện Biên Phủ, Vietnam
21.392N, 103.016E
KindCampaign, Cold War
Strength4,195 (as of 22 November)One infantry battalion and one artillery battery
Casualties and lossesBy 20 November: 11 killed,; 52 wounded92 killed; 15 captured
Commanders
  • Jean Gilles (French Army officer)
  • Jean Dechaux
  • Henri Navarre
Operation CastorOperation CastorBattle of Dien Bien PhuBattle of Muong KhouaBattle of Na SanBattle of Lima Site 85Battle of Nghia LoBattle of Dien Bien PhuBattle of Muong KhouaBattle of Lima Site 85Battle of Nghia LoLao ChiXam NuaLuan ChauPhongsaliLouang Namtha100 km21.392N, 103.016E
Placed at Điện Biên Phủ; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1953

Operation Castor is one of 4,429 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 269 in present-day Vietnam.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q3354679, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Operation Castor, revision 1371208784, read 2026-11-15, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.