whistles shrieked all along the Viet lines surrounding Eliane 2. Masses of Viet infantry poured out of their trenches, screaming as they ran fired on by the French defenders. Steele ran along the trench encouraging the men, rushing to take the place of a man as he fell until another replacement ran up and took over.

The Viets were almost on their wire, the enemy charge slowed to negotiate the entanglements. From behind the French artillery opened fire at almost point-blank range. Salvo after salvo ripped through the packed ranks of the Viet Minh. Firing for all they were worth the Legionnaires watched the Viets shredded by artillery fire, automatic weapons and in some cases by the bayonet.

### Losing an entire regiment, the Viets backed away momentarily. Relief washedover the outpost.

"Well, that was close. It seems we will survive a little longer." Bastien-Thiry clapped Steele on the back.

### Their entire world exploded in a mass of flame and fire.

"What the hell is going on?" Steele felt the ground beneath his feet heaving, rocking back and forth. Bunkers collapsed; trenches crumbled in on the occupants. Men were blown to smithereens when in the heat of battle Giap ordered one and a half tons of T.N.T buried underneath Eliane 2 to be detonated. One moment the camp was a functioning defensive position.

### The moment after, half of Eliane 2 was just a huge smouldering crater leaving a gap through which the Viets poured down onto the central positions.

Staggering through the dust, Steele gathered up a small group of