WIRE STOCKED M2 CARBINES

[painter777]

Like the Legion Etrangere? Didn't they have some in 1954 in RVN?

Yes they did. The M1 Carbine was introduced into Vietnam by French troops during the late 1940s in their war with the communist Viet Minh forces. A large number of M1 carbines were captured and used by Viet Minh troops. After the First Indochina War ended in July 1954, M1 carbines filtered from the North into the hands of the developing Viet Cong guerrilla forces.

Then in 1956 the Americans started handing them out like candy. In the end ~1975 it was estimated that 1.5 mil carbines were left behind.

In reading about The French Foreign Legion units and Paratroops that fought in Indochina, during the 56-57 day Battle of Dien Bien Phu caught my attention. I knew few details of this before the searching I've done the last few days. I don't want to 'Waste' the details in this thread..... If you know what I mean. I'll try to follow up and post a new topic on the board.
But that battle has it all, Heroes, Cowards, Deserters and a French version of the American Bataan Death March. Est 8,000 French POW's to include wounded were force marched some 400-500 miles during 40 days. Many of them wouldn’t survive the punitive march.
These prisoners spent several months in the Viet Minh POW camps on the border with China. It's estimated that only 3,290 men (including legionnaires) would survive the imprisonment. This battle ended that war, no telling how many more POW's would have died had it gone on longer.

There is so much to this Battle, but this isn't the place to follow up on it.
I'll follow up when I can, If interested Stay tuned for Battle of Dien Bien Phu.

Captured French: