Giáp Văn Cương Explained

Honorific Prefix:Admiral
Giáp Văn Cương
Birth Date:1921 9, df=y
Birth Place:Lục Nam, Bắc Giang, Tonkin (French protectorate)
Death Place:Hà Nội, Việt Nam
Party:Communist Party of Vietnam
Office:Deputy Chief of the PAVN General Staff
Term Start:1974
Term End:1977
Branch:People's Army of Vietnam
Vietnam People's Navy
Serviceyears:1945-1990
Rank:Admiral
Awards:Hero of the People's Armed Forces (posthumously)

Giáp Văn Cương (1921–1990) was an Admiral of the Vietnam People's Navy. He participated in both the first Indochina War and the second Indochina War.

Early years

Giáp Văn Cương was born on 13 September 1921 in Bảo Đài commune, Lục Nam district, Bắc Giang province of the Tonkin Protectorate, French Indochina.

Military career

In Operation Masher, Cương led the PAVN 3rd Infantry Division fighting against a combined force of the U.S. Army 1st Cavalry Division and the ARVN 22nd Infantry Division. Although suffering losses of a third of personnel and dozen tons of reserved rice and salt, he preserved the division's fighting strength while making the allied force paid a high price on personnel and helicopter losses.[1]

In the fourth month of Operation Wheeler/Wallowa, Col. Lê Hữu Trữ, commander of the PAVN 2nd Division was killed alongside his staff, Col. Cương was transferred from the position of chief of staff of B1 Front to replace Trữ.[2]

In 1974, he was promoted to Major General, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army. In 1977, he was appointed Commander of the Vietnam People's Navy. In 1988, he was promoted to Admiral, the first Admiral of the Vietnam People's Navy.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: History of the 3rd division - Yellow Star . 3 December 2024.
  2. Book: Villard, Erik. United States Army in Vietnam Combat Operations Staying the Course October 1967 to September 1968. Center of Military History United States Army. 2017. 9780160942808.
  3. Web site: General of Trường Sa - Giáp Văn Cương . vietnamnet.vn . 7 May 2022.