General Vo Nguyen Giap’s failure to take Vinh Yen in the Red River valley in January 1951 did not deter him from striking against Dong Trieu, located in the northeastern part of the delta. Beginning on 23 March 1951, Giap sent elements of the 308th and 312th divisions to destroy French posts there and to develop guerrilla activities. However, Vietnamese troops suffered heavy losses from French artillery and airpower and Vo Nguyen Giap ended the battle on 7 April. The official Vietnamese military version of this battle concedes in no uncertain terms a Vietnamese failure.