On May 1st General Giap orders the Viet Minh army to attack the remaining French defensive positions, most of the attacks are successful. The French are greatly outnumbered and even the wounded are pressed into service. French resistance ends on May 7th. General Ely becomes the French Army commander in Indochina a biography of him. The French Government falls and the new premier promised to end the war in Indochina within 30 days.
The Viet Minh took some weeks to restock their supply of Artillery and Mortar shells and received new recruits into their infantry to replace the losses they had suffered. A biography of Colonel An who would become the new commander of the Viet Minh 174th Regiment. There was a growing problem of French troops deserting within the Dien Bien Phu garrison. However the French retake the hill position of Elaine One.
Lieutenant Colonel Langlais assumes effective control of the French garrison at Dien Bien Phu, a biography of him. The Viet Minh attack the eastern defences of the French base, most of which are successful but some French defensive positions do fight the Viet Minh off. The Isabelle position, south of the main base is cut off by the Viet Minh. However the Viet Minh do suffer heavy losses during this battles.
On March 1954, the Viet Minh launched an artillery barrage upon the French garrison. In the evening Viet Minh infantry attacked the Beatrice defensive position, capturing it an destroying a Foreign Legion battalion. On March 14th the Viet Minh attack and latter captured the Gabrielle position, destroying an Algerian battalion. A biography of Colonel Le Tan, the commander of the Viet minh 312th Division.