A power station exploded and Hanoi went dark. It was the opening salvo of the anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam, otherwise known as the First Indochina War. It was about 8 p.m. on December 19, 1946. Within minutes, the sounds of gunfire echoed in the air starting from Phao Dai Lang Street in the west of the capital. Over the next 60 days, a fierce tug of war ensued between the French and Vietnamese forces to gain control of Hanoi. It was not an equal battle. France had approximately 6,500 soldiers, 40 tanks, 19 planes and numerous other war vehicles mobilized for the battle, while Vietnam had only 1,500 and 4,000 soldiers and 2,000 guns to defend the city. And in the thick of the battle, as cannons roared and bullets whizzed, it was of crucial strategic importance that there was communication between soldiers fighting in different areas of the city. But this was not easy. It required great courage, agility, presence of mind and knowledge of the city’s … [Read more...] about Saving Hanoi: ‘Little giants’ who put their lives on the line