Atlas of Battles

battle, Cold War

Battle of the Day River

Battle of the Day River was a battle fought in 1951 in what is now Cambodia. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at its recorded location. It was part of First Indochina War, which ran from 1946 to 1954. The recorded result: French Union victory. Recorded strength: 3 mobile groups; 2 para battalions; 1 dinassaut; Local Catholic militia against Three divisions.

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Group photograph cropped on General de Lattre
Group photograph cropped on General de Lattre. "Illustrations are from Department of Defense files, with the exception of photographs on pages 199 and 229 which are re, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought1951
WhereCambodia21.033N, 105.850E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeFrench Union victory
BelligerentsFrench Union; France; French Indochina; State of VietnamagainstNorth Vietnam; Việt Minh
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 the Day River, 1951
14 placed engagements of First Indochina War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1951 (year precision)
PlaceCambodia
21.033N, 105.850E
KindBattle, Cold War
Territorial changeRed River Delta remains under the control of France and the State of Vietnam
Strength3 mobile groups; 2 para battalions; 1 dinassaut; Local Catholic militiaThree divisions
Casualties and losses107 killed, 289 wounded, 189 missing; Few hundredsWestern estimates: 9,000 killed; 1,000 captured; Việt Minh figures: 546 killed, 1,700 wounded, 280 missing
Commanders
  • Jean de Lattre de Tassigny
Battle of the Day RiverBattle of the Day RiverBattle of HanoiSiege of SongpingSiege of Đông QuanBattle of Cầu GiấyOperation Ivory CoastBattle of HanoiBattle of Cầu GiấyOperation Ivory CoastHaiphongThái NguyênNam ĐịnhNinh BìnhHoa BinhBắc GiangPingxiangLạng Sơn100 km21.033N, 105.850E
Placed at its recorded location; the exact site is not recorded. 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 1951

Battle of the Day River is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 12 in present-day Cambodia.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q4872904, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of the Day River, revision 1370599154, 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.