2nd Corps (Vietnam)

2nd Corps (Vietnamese: Quân đoàn 2) or Hương Giang Corps (Vietnamese: Binh đoàn Hương Giang, literally: Corps of the Perfume River) was a regular army corps of the Vietnam People's Army. First organised in 1974 during the Vietnam War, 2nd Corps had a major role in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign that ended the war. Before disbanded on 21 November 2023, the corps was stationed in Lạng Giang District, Bắc Giang.[2]

Quân đoàn 2
(2nd Corps)
Active17 May 1974 – 21 November 2023
Country Vietnam
Allegiance Vietnam People's Army
BranchActive duty
TypeArmy Corps
RoleRegular force
SizeCorps
Part ofVietnam People's Army
Garrison/HQLạng Giang, Bắc Giang
EngagementsVietnam War
Cambodian–Vietnamese War
Sino–Vietnamese War[1]
Commanders
Current commanderMajor General Phạm Văn Hưng
Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff CommanderSenior Colonel Nguyễn Thành Phố
First party committee secretaryMajor General Trần Danh Khải

History edit

In July 1973, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam after its 21st conference issued a resolution of strengthening the armed forces to unify the country. In executing the issue, three months later the Ministry of Defence and the Military Commission of the Central Committee approved the plan of organising regular army corps for the Vietnam People's Army. On 17 May 1974,[3] General Võ Nguyên Giáp, Minister of Defence, signed the edict that led to the establishment of the 2nd Corps in Thừa Thiên, now Thừa Thiên–Huế Province, where is located the Perfume River (Sông Hương or Hương Giang), that came the name Hương Giang Corps of the unit.[4] The first headquarters of the corps consisted of political commissar (chính ủy) Lê Linh and commander (tư lệnh) Hoàng Văn Thái.

In early 1975, 2nd Corps was a major force of the Vietnam People's Army in Hue-Da Nang and Tây Nguyên Campaign. During the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, it was 2nd Corps that first advanced in the city of Saigon and captured the Independence Palace, which was the workplace of the president Duong Van Minh of South Vietnam. Colonel Bùi Quang Thận, then a captain in the 2nd Corps, was the person who raised the flag of Liberation Army in the roof of the Independence Palace and marked the end of the Vietnam War. After the war, 2nd Corps continued to engage in Laos (1976–1979) and Cambodian–Vietnamese War (1978–1979). The corps was awarded the title Hero of the People's Armed Forces (Anh hùng Lực lượng vũ trang nhân dân) in 1985.[4]

Organisation edit

The corps organisation before merged with the 1st Corps to form the 12th Corps on 29 November 2023:[5]

Headquarters edit

  • Department of Staff
    • 19th Commando Battalion[6]
    • 463rd Signals Battalion[7]
    • 5th Chemical Defense Battalion (Zil-131 ARS-14)[8]
  • Department of Politics
  • Department of Logistics[9]
    • 32nd Transportation Battalion
    • Two Logistics Warehouse Companies
  • Department of Technicals
    • Two Technicals Warehouse Battalions

Combat forces edit

Commanders edit

TimeCommanderNotes
1974–1975Maj. Gen. Hoàng Văn TháiLater promoted to lieutenant general and director of the General Department of Technique.
1975–1979Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Hữu AnLater promoted to colonel general and director of the Advanced Military Academy.
1979–1982Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Chơn
1983–1988Maj. Gen. Bùi Công Ái
1988–1992Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Phúc ThanhLater promoted to lieutenant general, Deputy Minister of Defence of Vietnam and Deputy President of the National Assembly of Vietnam.
1992–1994Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Văn RinhLater promoted to colonel general and Deputy Minister of Defence.
1995–2000Maj. Gen. Phạm Xuân ThệLater promoted to lieutenant general and commander of the 1st Military Region.
2000–2004Maj. Gen. Phạm Ngọc KhóaLater promoted to lieutenant general and director of the Department of Operation, General Staff.
2004–2007Maj. Gen. Thiều Chí Đinh
2007–2011Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Đức Thận
2011–11/2023Maj. Gen. Phạm Văn Hưng

Notes edit

  • High Command of the 2nd Corps, Vietnam People's Army (2004). History of the 2nd Corps (1974–2004) (in Vietnamese). Hanoi: People's Army Publishing House.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

References edit

  1. ^ "Cuộc chuyển quân thần tốc tháng 2-1979" [The speedy troop movement in February 1979] (in Vietnamese). February 16, 2017. Archived from the original on October 22, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  2. ^ "Lãnh đạo Quân ủy Trung ương, Bộ Quốc phòng dự lễ công bố Quyết định thành lập Quân đoàn 12". People's Army Newspaper (Vietnam). 2 December 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  3. ^ Ministry of Defence of Vietnam (2009). White book of Defence of Vietnam (in Vietnamese). Hanoi: World Publishing House. p. 111.
  4. ^ a b "Quân đoàn 2". Từ điển Bách khoa toàn thư Việt Nam (in Vietnamese). Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  5. ^ "Tiếp nhận nguyên trạng các cơ quan, đơn vị thuộc Quân đoàn 1, Quân đoàn 2 và Phân viện 5 (Bệnh viện 7, Quân khu 3) về Quân đoàn 12". People's Army Newspaper (Vietnam). 29 November 2023. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Niềm trăn trở của bộ đội đặc công". Báo Quân khu 2. 19 June 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Quân đoàn 12: Công bố quyết định thành lập Trung đoàn Thông tin 140". People's Army Newspaper (Vietnam). 29 December 2023. Archived from the original on 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Cán bộ, chiến sĩ Quân đoàn 2: Nhân dân cần, chúng tôi có mặt". Ban Dân vận tỉnh Bắc Giang. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Công bố quyết định của Bộ Quốc phòng về thành lập Trung đoàn Vận tải 752, Kho Hậu cần - Kỹ thuật 569 và Bệnh viện Quân y 5". Cổng thông tin điện tử tỉnh Ninh Bình. 28 December 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  10. ^ "Thượng tướng Nguyễn Tân Cương kiểm tra công tác huấn luyện, sẵn sàng chiến đấu tại Sư đoàn 325". People's Army Newspaper (Vietnam). 4 April 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Lữ đoàn Phòng không 673: Vượt nắng, thắng mưa trên thao trường". People's Army Newspaper (Vietnam). 27 March 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Trung tướng Ngô Minh Tiến kiểm tra xây dựng đơn vị vững mạnh toàn diện tại Lữ đoàn 203". People's Army Newspaper (Vietnam). 29 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2023.