Without a Fight

INDOCHINA

Laichau is a tiny mud village in northwestern Viet Nam, where the clack of mah-jongg tiles used to be heard day & night. For seven years of war, although it is only 30 miles from the Chinese border. Laichau remained in French hands. Last week it was lost to Ho Chi Minh's Communists without a fight.

Laichau had been an important base for rallying the friendly Thai tribesmen in the northwestern wilds, but the French commanders had compelling tactical reasons for giving it up. It was supplied and manned only by air, yet it has a small, poor airstrip, with steep mountain cliffs on both sides. If the Reds brought mortars to the high ground above the airstrip, they could take it under devastating fire.

Last month, in a brilliant airborne attack, the French Union forces seized the enemy base at Dienbienphu (TIME, Nov. 30), some 50 miles south of Laichau. Dienbienphu lies on a broad plateau with a good airfield, which the French soon put in condition and ringed with barbed wire and trenches. From this base they could keep in touch with Thai anti-Communist guerrillas by radio. When the enemy moved up his 316th Division from the southeast, in position to attack either Dienbienphu or Laichau, the French decided to let Laichau go. They evacuated the garrison (using part of it to strengthen Dienbienphu), blew up their installations in Laichau, and left the tricolor flying for the incoming Reds to cut down.

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