History
A French colony prior to
WWII, after the fall of France it took orders from the Vichy French, aligned with the Axis powers. On September 3, 1941 a military agreement signed by Indo China's French Governor General Jean Decoux, allowing 25,000 Japanese troops to use northern Indo-China as a staging area to China, and use of three airbases there. Japanese forces arrived September 26, 1941, the afternoon before the signing of the Axis Triple Pact. This decision and arrival of Japanese forces lead the United States to enact an embargo against the Japanese. Although never invaded by
Allied forces, the area was subjected to aerial bombings and naval
attacks at the end of the war. In August 1945, the French returned
to occupy their former colony, but faced a new war with Communist
Viet insurgency.
Camranh Bay
Japanese Naval Base Flotilla of two cruisers and eight
destroyers left on December 24, 1944 to attack American forces that
had landed on Mindoro, Philippines.
Phnom-Penh
Post war, the French Armee de l'Air (Air Force) used some
captured Japanese aircraft in the late 1940s, including Ki-43 Oscars
in December 1945 - February 1946. Also, the French used several
captured Jakes and a Dinah.
Duong
Dong Airfield
Wartime airfield used by Japanese Army Air Force
