Atlas of Battles

battle, Cold War

Battle of Muong Khoua

Battle of Muong Khoua was a battle fought on 13 April 1953 at Phongsaly Province, in what is now Laos; it lasted 35 days. It was part of First Indochina War, which ran from 1946 to 1954. The recorded result: Việt Minh victory. Recorded strength: Unknown against 315.

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Map of the position during the Battle of Muong Khoua, 1953.
Map of the position during the Battle of Muong Khoua, 1953.. SGGH, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought13 April 1953lasted 35 days
WherePhongsaly Province, Laos21.078N, 102.505E
OutcomeViệt Minh victory
BelligerentsNorth Vietnam; Việt MinhagainstFrench Union; France; French Indochina; Kingdom of Laos
Casualties and lossesOne battalion and; supporting mortar detachment.and~310, four known survivors.
Part ofFirst Indochina War1946 to 1954

Where it sits in First Indochina War

Battle of Hanoi, 1946Battle of Phu Tong Hoa, 1948Battle of Cao Bang, 1949Battle of Dong Khe, 1950Battle of Route Coloniale 4, 1950Battle of Vinh Yen, 1951Battle of the Day River, 1951Battle of Nghia Lo, 1951Battle of Hoa Binh, 1951Battle of Nghĩa Lộ, 1952Battle of Na San, 1952Battle of Muong Khoua, 1953Battle of Mang Yang Pass, 1954Battle of Dien Bien Phu, 195419461954Battle of Muong Khoua, 1953
14 placed engagements of First Indochina War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date13 April 1953
to 18 May 1953
PlacePhongsaly Province, Laos
21.078N, 102.505E
KindBattle, Cold War
StrengthUnknown315
Casualties and lossesOne battalion and; supporting mortar detachment.~310, four known survivors.
Battle of Muong KhouaBattle of Muong KhouaBattle of Dien Bien PhuBattle of Lima Site 85Battle of Na SanBattle of Dien Bien PhuBattle of Lima Site 85LouangphrabangXam NuaSơn LaLuan ChauPhongsaliLouang Namtha100 km21.078N, 102.505E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1953

Battle of Muong Khoua is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 7 in present-day Laos.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q4871827, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Muong Khoua, revision 1371477155, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.