4. Things to Go From Bad to Worse for the French in Dien Bien Phu
French paratroopers were dropped into Dien Bien Phu, whose main feature was an airstrip in a valley encircled by hills. It was the start of a catastrophic oops moment. Things quickly turned sour, as many French assumptions were proven mistaken.
The French had assumed the guerrillas lacked anti-aircraft capabilities. However, the surrounding hills were soon studded by flak guns, forming a deadly gauntlet through which aircraft had to fly when taking off or landing from the airstrip. So many planes were shot down that the French were soon forced to rely on airdrops for supply, many of which missed their targets and landed within enemy lines, instead.
