2nd Corps () or Hương Giang Corps (, literally: ''Corps of the Perfume River'') was a regular

army corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...

of the

Vietnam People's Army Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. First organised in 1974 during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

, 2nd Corps had a major role in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign that ended the war. Before disbanding on 21 November 2023, the corps was stationed in Lạng Giang District,

Bắc Giang Bắc Giang () is a city in Vietnam. It is the capital of Bắc Ninh Province. Its name, deriving from that of the Province Sino-Vietnamese, means "north of the river." The location is very convenient for transportation: it is 50 km north ...

History

In July 1973, the

Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam ( Vietnamese: ''Ban Chấp hành Trung ương Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam''), commonly the Party Central Committee (PCC; - or ), is the highest organ between two national congresses ...

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 A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

and the Military Commission of the Central Committee approved the plan of organising regular

for the Vietnam People's Army. On 17 May 1974, General

Võ Nguyên Giáp Võ Nguyên Giáp ( vi-hantu, , ; 25 August 1911 – 4 October 2013) was a Vietnamese general, communist revolutionary and politician. Highly regarded as a military strategist, Giáp led Vietnamese communist forces to victories in wars agains ...

, 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. The first headquarters of the corps consisted of political commissar (''chính ủy'') Lê Linh and commander (''tư lệnh'')

Hoàng Văn Thái Hoàng Văn Thái (; 1 May 1915 – 2 July 1986), born Hoàng Văn Xiêm (), was a Vietnamese Army General and a communist political figure. His hometown was Tây An, Tiền Hải District, Thái Bình Province. During the 1968 Tết Offensi ...

. 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 Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

and captured the

Independence Palace The Independence Palace (), also publicly and officially known as the Reunification Convention Hall or simply Reunification Hall (), is a landmark in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), Vietnam. It was designed by architect Ngô Vi� ...

, which was the workplace of the president Duong Van Minh of South Vietnam. Colonel

Bùi Quang Thận Bùi (Chữ Hán: 裴) is a common Vietnamese surname, ranked 9th among the most common surnames in Vietnam. The surname Pei (裴) in Chinese and Bae (배) in Korean share the same origin with it. Notable people with the name include: * Bùi ...

, 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

. After the war, 2nd Corps continued to engage in

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

(1976–1979) and

Cambodian–Vietnamese War The Cambodian–Vietnamese War was an armed conflict between Democratic Kampuchea, controlled by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, and the Vietnam, Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It began in December 1978, with a Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia which to ...

(1978–1979). The corps was awarded the title

Hero of the People's Armed Forces The Hero of the People's Armed Forces () is an honorary designation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Criteria The title (and medal) of Hero of the People's Armed Force is awarded to individuals with "exceptionally outstanding achievements ...

(''Anh hùng Lực lượng vũ trang nhân dân'') in 1985.

Organisation

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

Headquarters

* Department of Staff ** 19th Commando Battalion ** 463rd Signals Battalion ** 5th Chemical Defense Battalion (Zil-131 ARS-14) * Department of Politics * Department of Logistics ** 32nd Transportation Battalion ** Two Logistics Warehouse Companies * Department of Technicals ** Two Technicals Warehouse Battalions

Combat forces

* 325th Division ** 18th Infantry Regiment ** 95th Infantry Regiment ** 101st Infantry Regiment * 673rd Air Defence Brigade ( AZP S-60) * 203rd Tank Brigade (

T-54/T-55 The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of Soviet Union, Soviet medium tanks introduced in the years following the World War II, Second World War. The first T-54 prototype was completed at Nizhny Tagil by the end of 1945.Steven Zaloga, T-54 and T-5 ...

) * 164th Artillery Brigade

Commanders

Notes

References

{{Vietnam People's Army Corps of the People's Army of Vietnam Military units and formations established in 1974 Military units and formations disestablished in 2023 Hero of the People's Armed Forces