With the launch of Operation Castor, French soldiers were dropped from the Red River Delta by air, deep into the northwestern hills of Vietnam - Việt Minh territory. They subsequently established a well-fortified garrison at Ðiện Biên Phủ, alongside an airstrip to supply their troops. This was an attempt to lure the Vietnamese guerrilla fighters, commanded by General Võ Nguyên Giáp, into an all-out firefight to inflict devastating losses using their heavy artillery and superior firepower. 