Military Model Scene

Title: France's War in Indochina, Vol.1
Author: Stephen Rookes
Publisher: Helion & Co
ISBN: 978-1-804510-14-8

Subtitled 'The Tiger versus the Elephant, 1946-1949', the first of a 3-part series within the Asia @ War series from Helion & Co on the French war in Indochina. A 74-page soft-cover book in the standard style for the series. When anyone mentions the 'Vietnam War' I think most peoples' minds turn immediately to the US involvement in the country in the 1960s & 70s. This starts a more detailed look at the French war in Indochina which preceded the American story.
This volume is split across 6 sections, providing a helpful background to the situation in Vietnam, or in those days, French Indochina. The country was split into 3 regions. Tonkin in the north, Cochinchina in the south, including Saigon and the Mekong Delta, while the section in between was Annam. France had controlled the country prior to WW2, but the Japanese were able to make use of the defeat of France in 1940 to gain access for their forces to threaten Commonwealth forces in Thailand, Burma and India. To fight the Japanese, Vietnamese Nationalist forces (Viet Minh), including Ho Chi Minh, were supplied by the US in order to fight the Japanese. When the war came to an end, it was the British who had the job of overseeing the move back to French control. This is all taken into the story, as well as what was happening in neighbouring Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. Meanwhile the Viet Minh were wanting independence for their country, and the book does include the talks held between Ho Chi Minh and the French government. However, the story starts to unfold with the French trying to maintain control, even with support from remaining Japanese units and the involvement of more French units, particularly their Air Force.
The centre section has the usual selection of artwork profile, with military vehicles, uniforms, aircraft and maps, all adding to the archive photos included throughout the book. As well as being interesting to historians interested in the Vietnam story, I think modellers will be especially fascinated. As well as some pre-war French aircraft in use, there were also a lot of ex-Japanese aircraft and armour, and some Luftwaffe aircraft which had been finished post-war in French factories, including such as the Ju 52 and the Fieseler Storch. Add elements such as the guerrilla tactics of the Viet Minh and the French use of riverine craft on waterways such as the Mekong Delta there is so much in here.
Thanks to Helion & Co for the review copy.

Robin