Battle of Dien Bien Phu: Battle at the E1 Hill (Dominique 1)

Country: Vietnam

Province: Dien Bien

Dien Bien Phu Holiday Weather today

Date/time of update: June 17, 2026, 1:17 am, Timezone: GMT+7
Overcast Clouds

Temperature: 25.57°C
Temperature feels like: 26.45°C
Minimum Temperature: 25.57°C
Maximum Temperature: 25.57°C
Atmospheric pressure: 1010hPa
Humidity:87%
Visibility: 10000m
Wind speed: 1.12m/sec
Wind Direction: 227 degrees
Cloudiness: 100%
Sunrise: 2026-06-16 10:25:52
Sunset: 2026-06-17 11:51:41

E1 Hill (Dominique 1) belonged to the Dominique Group protecting the French Hedgehog at Dien Bien Phu from the northeast.

E1 is 1.9km from the French Commander Post (approximately 1.2km via a beeline). Originally the hill was about 60-70m high from the ground. From E1, all movements on Route 41, the French Central Zone, and the Muong Thanh Airport were visible.

Positions of Dominique 1,2 in the battle of Dien Bien Phu

The E1 (Dominique 1) Hill in Dien Bien Phu

On the E1 Hill, there was a system of trenches connecting bunkers. On the brim of the trenches, there was a hole every 3m containing grenades. The bunkers were covered by timbers of 20-40cm and sandbags, and there were gun-holes with commanding views of the surrounding.