Operation Mouette

Operation Mouette
Part of the First Indochina War
A Bearcat of the Aéronavale drops napalm on Việt Minh Division 320th's artillery during the operation.
Date October 15, 1953 – November 7, 1953. Location Vietnam, French Indochina Result French Union victory Area temporarily occupied before French withdrawal.
Belligerents
French Union France State of Vietnam	Việt Minh
Commanders and leaders
Christian de Castries Jean Gilles	Văn Tiến Dũng
Strength
21,000–24,500 supported by Chaffee tanks.[1]	1 regular division + regional forces
Casualties and losses
France: 113 killed 505 wounded 151 missing	1,000 killed 2,500 wounded 182 captured (French estimates).

Operation Mouette was an operation in 1953 by the French Union Army in Northern Vietnam during the First Indochina War.^[2] It was launched on October 15 in an attempt to locate and destroy Viet-Minh Chu Luc troops operating under the command of Võ Nguyên Giáp around the area of Phu Nho Quan, south of the Red River Delta.^[2][3] Following the establishment of a French camp in the area, various troops were dispatched to engage the Viet-Minh forces. The operation was ended and the French withdrew by November 7, claiming approximately 1,000 enemy combatants killed, twice as many wounded, and 181 captured as well as a substantial quantity of weapons and ammunition.^[4]