In late September 1884 large detachments of the Guangxi Army advanced from Lạng Sơn and probed into the Luc Nam valley, announcing their presence by ambushing the French river gunboats Hache and Massue (of the

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3 January
Instead of marching directly east from Chu to attack the Chinese frontally, de Négrier decided to cross to the southern bank of the Luc Nam river and make a wide flank march to come in on the Chinese left. To divert the enemy's

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French casualties at Nui Bop were relatively moderate: 19 dead and 65 wounded. The French wounded included three officers, Captain Verdier and Lieutenant Simoni of the 111th Line Battalion and 2nd Lieutenant Larribe of the Tonkinese Rifles.

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De Nègrier's victory at Nui Bop, won at odds of just under one to ten, was regarded by his fellow-officers as the most spectacular professional

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1. ^ Harmant, 113–37; Lecomte, Lang-Son, 155–76; Lung Chang, 332; Maury, 129–32; Thomazi, Conquête, 243; Histoire militaire, 104–5
2. ^ Harmant, 91–112; Lecomte, Lang-Son, 149–55
3. ^ Lung Chang, 332

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On 5 January 1885 General Brière de l'Isle issued the following order of the day to commemorate the victory at Nui Bop:
Deux brillants succès pour le corps expéditionnaire ouvrent

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