The War Before the War, page 24
Betty barfed.
The Criquet landed safely at Da Nang Air Base. McGoon abandoned the aircraft at the end of the runway. Granier and Betty hid in a drainage ditch and waited for McGoon as he switched off the engine. All three made their way toward the civilian terminal keeping their heads below the ditch edge.
As they entered the terminal, McGoon pointed Betty toward the restrooms so she could clean herself up and made hand motions like he was washing his face. Betty went inside.
Everything looked strange to Betty, especially the white porcelain urinals attached to the wall. She wondered what their use was. She thought they might be some kind of place to wash your hands because they had water in the basin. She was amazed at the big mirror above the sinks and her reflection. She had seen her reflection on a mirror in the village, but it was small and only had room for her face. She could see her whole body in the big mirror. Curious, she took off her clothes and stood naked, gazing. She liked her body. A man walked in and was shocked to see her. Betty grabbed her clothes, ran into one of the stalls, and slammed the door shut. She had not understood the symbol distinguishing the Men’s restroom from the Women’s.
As promised, Granier bought the first round of beers at a bar inside the terminal. With a cold beer in his hand, McGoon was as happy as a hog in a puddle. “Any day ya don’t crash is a day to be celebrated,” McGoon toasted, clanking his beer mug against Granier’s.
“You have a very low bar for success,” said Granier.
“Yep, but that just means I am rarely disappointed. Ya gotta keep a positive attitude.”
“I suppose. Thanks for the help.”
“Don’t mention it. I’m always up for an adventure. So, what’s next?”
“I’ll be heading to Hanoi to catch up with the congressman and his brother.”
“You watch yourself. Those Frenchies up north can be tricky bastards if they don’t like what you’re selling.”
“Good to know. How about you? You heading back to Hue?”
“Not right away. I thought I’d take Betty to Saigon and show her around for a few days.”
“A few days, huh. You know she’s probably pretty fertile.”
“I would imagine. I’ll be safe. My wife probably wouldn’t appreciate me bringing a mixed-breed back to the states.”
“Probably not.”
“Kid might be kinda cute, though.”
Granier grunted and drank his beer.
John and Bobby sat in a military briefing on the disposition of the enemy and the defensive perimeter the French had created around Hanoi and Haiphong Harbor. A French colonel who spoke acceptable English pointed to a wall map. “The De Lattre line is now almost 90% complete. The line is comprised of 1200 reinforced concrete blockhouses. Each blockhouse holds a minimum of ten soldiers and is able to withstand shelling from 155mm artillery. The blockhouses are built in clusters of 3 to 6 to provide supporting fire when attacked, similar to the redoubts of a star fortress. The defenses are spread over 235 miles starting at the ocean in the north and stretching around Hanoi in a hook shape. The perimeter is set forward 22 miles from both Hanoi and Haiphong, preventing the enemy from shooting artillery over the line to strike the city or harbor. All the defensive lines are connected by roads capable of bearing 30-ton tanks. This gives us a robust interior line of communication to reinforce and resupply any of our units under attack quickly. Our airfields within the perimeter give us exceptional reconnaissance and air-to-ground assault capabilities.”
“How is this any different than the Maginot Line which the Germans circumvented with their blitzkrieg?” said John.
“The Viet Minh do not have tanks,” said the colonel, snidely.
“Yes, but they do have artillery and have shown an amazing ability to move their forces great distances in a short amount of time. When they find a weak spot, they will surely exploit it.”
“It’s true that there are still gaps in our defensive line, and some Viet Minh units have penetrated deeper into our perimeter, but our patrols have picked up their movements. We have been able to dispatch them successfully before they caused too much damage. It is a far better strategy to let them attack us, than search for them in the mountains,” said De Lattre.
“It’s a defensive strategy that requires that the enemy cooperate. I’ve found from experience that the enemy rarely complies with our wishes,” said John.
“Ho Chi Minh needs Hanoi as his base of operation if he ever hopes to mount a credible attack against our forces in central and south Indochina. Hanoi gives him control of Haiphong Harbor, and Haiphong allows the Chinese and Russians to easily supply his troops with vast quantities of weapons and food. Hanoi is the prize that we must deny him. He will bash his forces against our defenses, and we will wear him down until he has no choice but to sue for peace.”
“I would like to see the De Lattre Line in action first hand.”
“And you shall. Our intelligence reports indicate a large Viet Minh build-up to the southwest of Haiphong.”
As the briefing adjourned and the Kennedys headed back to their hotel, De Lattre was approached by his head of intelligence, “We found Granier. He just got off a commercial flight from Da Nang,” said the officer.
“What was he doing in Da Nang?” asked De Lattre.
“We don’t know. But he was wearing dirty jungle fatigues and in great need of a shower.”
“I’m not interested in his hygiene. I want to know where he—,” said De Lattre stopping mid-sentence to think. “THe. He went to contact General THe.”
“Why?”
“Why is your job. See that you do it,” said De Lattre moving off, agitated.
Granier was waiting for the Kennedys in the lobby of the hotel – the Grand Hotel Métropole in the French Quarter of Hanoi. Guests glanced at his dirty fatigues as they entered and exited the hotel. A hotel security guard approached him and asked if he would feel more comfortable seated in the outdoor café. “No. I’m good here,” he said in a don’t-bother-me voice accompanied by a killer’s glare.
He was left alone until the Kennedys finally showed up. “Granier, in case you hadn’t noticed, you are badly in need of a shower,” said John shaking his hand.
“I thought it was important that you hear my report as soon as possible,” said Granier.
“It is. Did you make contact with General THe?”
“I did.”
“Good. Take a shower and meet us in the lounge in thirty minutes.”
“Did you bring my suitcase?”
“Oh, damn. Were we supposed to do that?”
“I can buy something in one of the shops.”
“No. It’s my fault. I’ll give you a change of clothes. We’re about the same size, I think. You can tell me about THe on our way to my room.”
“I’d rather wait until we can speak privately.”
“Of course. Shower, clothes, a stiff drink, and then your report.”
Bobby retrieved their room keys from the front desk, and they headed upstairs.
Granier took a shower in his room and put on John’s change of clothes. The shirts were tailor-made of silk and the pants of lightweight linen. The dress shoes look like they cost a small fortune. In truth, Granier had never looked so good. He didn’t like it. His appearance drew attention. He placed his pistol in his front pocket. It bulged against the linen fabric. He didn’t like that either. Fu-fu clothes, he thought. He missed his fatigues, which were already being washed in the hotel’s laundry.
Granier met the Kennedys in the lounge. Kennedy had requested a booth in the corner away from the other patrons so they could talk privately. “You clean up nice, Granier,” said John.
“Thanks for the loan,” said Granier.
“They’re not a loan. You keep them. A man should have a nice change of clothes. If we have time, I’ll have you fitted for a suit. I hear the Vietnamese tailors are quite good.”
“Thanks, but no. These are enough. I don’t have much occasion to dress up.”
John ordered Bloody Mary’s for Bobby and him. Granier ordered a beer. “You sure you don’t want something a little heavier? I bet it’s been a long couple of days.”
“No. Gotta keep my wits to do my job.”
“Okay. But I think we are pretty safe here in the hotel.”
“I know you think that.”
“Very well.”
John waited until the waiter was out of earshot, then asked, “So, General THe… is he the real deal?”
“Yes. And he has an army. About one thousand men.”
“Well, I suppose that’s a start.”
“I saw them in action. They can fight. He’s trained his men well, and they’re brave.”
“How did you see them in action?”
“His camp was attacked while I was there.”
“The French?”
“No. Communists.”
“Who won?”
“I didn’t stick around to find out. But I’m pretty sure they survived. The camp is pretty well situated, and his men were well-armed.”
“Good. How did he receive our offer?”
“I think he’ll take the aid. He wants to overthrow the French.”
“So, he’s both anti-French and anti-communist as we hoped?”
“He is. But I can’t say he’s pro-democracy.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, if wins, he’ll be a dictator.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“No. I’m sure. If he wins, he’s keeping the crown.”
“I see. That’s not what we had in mind.”
“I didn’t think so.”
“That’s too bad. I thought we might have found our man.”
“I’m not sure your man exists… not in Vietnam. A strong leader is the only way to rule this country, and no matter their original intentions, strong leaders tend to dictate when they come to power.”
“And I think we haven’t looked hard enough.”
“Maybe your right. At least THe had enough guts to break away from the French. I’ll give him that.”
“So, the search for a third force continues.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The French had learned well from their defeat along Colonial Route 4. The defensive line of blockhouses and lookout towers had worked for a time and forced the Viet Minh to re-route their supply lines farther from Hanoi. But it didn’t last. Because civilian traffic was able to use the road, the Viet Minh were able to penetrate the defensive line that protected it. The positioning and layout of the blockhouses were also wrong. While they could support one another, it was difficult to consolidate enough firepower to stop a determined enemy assault. But the biggest problem was that the fortresses along Colonial Route 4 were far from their supply depots around Hanoi, and there was only one road leading to the last fort. The one way in, one way out geography exacerbated the ever-increasing need for reinforcement and high probability of ambush on the supply and troop convoys.
From these lessons and more, the French built the De Lattre defensive line around the highly populated Tonkin Delta. It was a defensive ring that started on the northern coast, extended along the mountains, then curved southward around Hanoi and back to the southern coast on the opposite side of Haiphong Harbor. Multiple roads were built inside the protected area to the different sections of the line, making reinforcement and resupply safe and quick. The line was protected by hundreds of 105mm, and 155mm howitzers placed several miles behind the front so they could not be easily captured by the Viet Minh if there was ever a breakthrough. Mobile Groups with armor were stationed at central points within the interior, allowing them to quickly reinforce any position under pressure from the Viet Minh or plug any breakthrough.
Almost 1200 blockhouses were constructed over 235 miles of perimeter. The lookout towers were also beefed up being built out of concrete instead of wood, making them more impervious to heavy assaults. While their walls were not as thick as the blockhouses, they could withstand most small arms fire and even a bazooka rocket. The fortifications were far from uniform. Some were simple blockhouses built along a road, while others were elevated on man-made hills and had elaborate designs, including perimeter walls with deep trenches to slow down the human wave assaults. All the blockhouses had 360-degree firing portals that allowed the soldiers inside to fire in all directions and had cleared fields of fire several hundred yards out.
The area protected by the De Lattre line was massive and required a large portion of the French army to man the blockhouses and lookout towers. This significantly limited operations outside the perimeter. The French had put themselves in a defensive posture that required the Viet Minh to attack.
But De Lattre calculated that Ho Chi Minh would attack. The prize inside the perimeter was too valuable to just pass up. Ho needed Hanoi and Haiphong Harbor for political and logistical support of his growing army. He needed the rice grown in the delta to feed his troops. And most of all, he needed to destroy the French army. The French had massed within the perimeter, and when the Viet Minh broke through, they would exact a heavy toll on the French troops, perhaps enough to force the French to surrender and leave Indochina once and for all.
Like the ringmaster of a circus, De Lattre was careful of what was shown to the Kennedys. Even as he pretended to be an open book, he wanted the message controlled whenever possible. His duties prevented him from conducting the entire tour himself, which he would have preferred. But he was needed elsewhere. The Viet Minh were massing once again. De Lattre was doing everything within his power to be ready. Once again, he hoped this would be the final battle that brought the Viet Minh to their knees as they pounded against his impregnatable line of defense.
The first few days in Hanoi went as planned by De Lattre. The Kennedys were chauffeured in an armored car to military bases, airfields, construction sites, and various locations along the defensive line. It was a rough ride that didn’t help John’s back. The air inside the armored car was hot and stale with the stench of exhaust fumes. There was almost no ventilation except for the gun portal where the machinegun had been removed so John and Bobby could look out and watch the countryside as they passed. It was a miserable experience, which was precisely what De Lattre wanted. The shorter the Kennedys’ visit in the north, the better.
Even though their tour was uncomfortable, it was informative. John was impressed by the French buildup. Thousands of workers slaved away at the construction of blockhouses and watchtowers. Most of the line had been completed within the first year, an unfathomable accomplishment when they started.
While the defensive line did tie up a large portion of the French Army during construction, it also protected the major population center in the north. There was little doubt of the viability of De Lattre’s promise never to let Hanoi or Haiphong fall into enemy hands. The French were here to stay. De Lattre’s long term plan was to train Vietnamese colonial troops to eventually take the place of the French troops manning the perimeter defenses. Unfortunately, it was a slow process that De Lattre criticized. He felt that most of the Vietnamese government and military leaders were fence-sitters waiting to see the outcome of the war rather than pitching in with the French to defend their country. The French were far from winning the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people and were forced to provide the majority of the defense of the De Lattre line themselves.
Unsurprisingly, the one group in-country that did support the French were the Catholic communities around Vietnam. Catholicism had grown to over 5% of the total population, and there was an exceptionally large contingent around Hanoi and Saigon. There was very little doubt that Christians, in general, would be treated harshly under a communist government. The Catholics had formed their own militias to protect their people and property. The militia leaders had volunteered to help fight the Viet Minh should they attack. While their troops were not as well trained as the French colonial soldiers, the militia did have high morale bolstered by their faith and proved to be staunch defenders.
While visiting a construction site of several blockhouses, John watched dozens of wheelbarrows and ox carts transporting tons of wet concrete from a line of cement mixers to the forms of the blockhouses. John asked, “Where do you get the concrete?”
“We are fortunate that Vietnam has an abundance of clay, limestone, sand, rock, and gravel. It also has the iron and coal mines that allow us to manufacture the steel required to reinforce the blockhouses,” said the commander of the engineers overseeing the construction. “If we were in any other part of the world, I doubt this would be possible. It is an incredible engineering feat and will be responsible for the downfall of Ho Chi Minh.”
“You seem confident that the De Lattre Line will hold back the Viet Minh.”
“It will. It must.”
Granier looked out at the surrounding jungle and wondered if it would be enough. The French seemed well prepared, but he knew Giap was sly and would not attack where the French expected. He also hated the idea of taking a defensive stance rather than seeking out the enemy. Offense disrupted the enemy’s plans and forced them to defend themselves. The Viet Minh could not advance while retreating. By sitting and waiting for the Viet Minh to attack, the French were playing into Giap’s hands. It was Giap that controlled the location of the battle, not De Lattre. Bobby moved up next to Granier and said, “It all seems so very formidable. Do you think this will work?”
“The French love drawing lines in the sand and daring the enemy to cross them,” said Granier. “But it’s a lousy way to fight a war. Your enemy knows what you will do, and where.”
“General De Lattre says he’s training the Vietnamese colonial troops to take the place of the French, and that will allow his troops to go back on offense.”
“This line is massive. It’ll take years before they train enough men. I don’t think the French have that long to wait. De Lattre hopes Giap will attack the defenses now and try to break through. He wants to smash them with his artillery and airpower.”
