1954, Dien Bien Phu in the Western mountains of Northern Vietnam. Almost 9 years earlier, WW II had come to a conclusion, and the Korean conflict had just ended. Many of the Korean surplus C-47’s were flown over to the next Communist threat, in SE Asia. Here the Dakota would be staying alive and very active as a versatile transport for the French Military. Rugged and reliable, it could fly anywhere, any time, where most other aircraft simply gave up for a variety of reasons. The French Colonial Forces had conquered an old Japanese airfield and were against all odds attacked in those remote mountains by the Viet Minh forces under the legendary General Giap. A siege started and the camp came under heavy gunfire, that could not be stopped.
