Jump to content

72nd Group Army

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
72nd Group Army
Thứ bảy mười hai tập đoàn quân
ActiveFebruary 1, 1947–present
CountryPeople's Republic of China
AllegianceChinese Communist Party
BranchPeople's Liberation Army Ground Force
TypeGroup army
Part ofEastern Theater Command
Garrison/HQHuzhou,Zhe gian g
Motto(s)“Thiên hạ đệ nhất quân”[1]
EngagementsSecond Sino-Japanese War
Long March
World War II
Chinese Civil War
Battle of Chamdo
Korean War(in Korea until 1958)
Vietnam War
Sino-Vietnamese War
Commanders
Current
commander		Major General Gu Zhong
Political CommissarMajor General Li Weiguo
Notable
commanders
Insignia
NATO Map Symbol

The72nd Group Army(Chinese:Thứ bảy mười hai tập đoàn quân;pinyin:Dì Qīshí'èr Jítuánjūn),Unit31657, formerly the1st Group Army,is a military formation of the ChinesePeople's Liberation Army Ground Forces(PLAGF). The 71st Group Army is one of thirteen totalgroup armiesof the PLAGF, the largest echelon of ground forces in thePeople's Republic of China,and one of three assigned to the nation'sEastern Theater Command.[2]Headquartered inHuzhou,Zhe gian g,the unit's primary mission is likely preparation for conflict in or about theTaiwan Strait.[3][4]

History

[edit]

The 1st Group Army traces its origins back to the activation of the "2nd Red Army" in 1930 inHunan.As the 358th Brigade of the 120th Division of the8th Route Armythe unit took part in theLong March.In 1946 the brigade was reorganized and redesignated as the 1st Column of theNorthwest Field Army.The 1st Column was reorganized and redesignated as the 1st Corps on February 1, 1947, composed of the 358th Brigade, the 1st Independent Brigade and the 7th Brigade. In 1949 the unit was again reorganized and comprised the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions.[5]During theChinese Civil Warthe 1st Corps took part in the battles for Shanzong, Fumei, and Longdong.

The 3rd Division was inactivated in 1952 and the 1st and 3rd Corps were reorganised and combined to form the 1st Corps with the 1st, 2nd, and 7th Divisions subordinate.7th Divisionabsorbed9th Division,and was transferred to 1st Army, and8th Divisionwas absorbed by2nd Division,1st Corps.

Elements of the Corps arrived in Korea in April 1953. The corps was assigned to the Peking area on its return from Korea in 1958, but then arrived in theKaifengarea in March 1961.[6]

The181st Divisionjoined the army in September 1985.

The2nd Infantry Divisionof the 1st Group Army conducted routine and field training in the Langxi area of the Anhui Province from early July 1991 until October 1991. An artillery brigade organic to the 1st Division of the 1st Group Army conducted offensive exercises and joint army and air force training including signal exercises, river crossing, infantry and armor maneuvers and counter-airborne operations in the Anhui Province bordering Anhui, Zhe gian g, and Jiangsu Provinces from early August to late October 1991. In late February 1992 the 2nd Division conducted routine training and marching and field training exercises in West Village, Guangde Xian, Anhui Province.[7]

The 2nd Division was transferred to the People's Armed Police to become the8690 Unitin the 1990s.[8]

21st century

[edit]

In 2006 Blasko reported that it comprised the1st Amphibious Mechanized Infantry Division(Hangzhou),3rd Motorized Infantry Brigade(Jinhua,Zhe gian g), an unidentified armored division atSuzhou,Jiangsu,the9th Artillery Divisionat Wuxi, Jiangsu, and an unidentified air defense brigade at Zhen gian g,Jiangsu.[9]

By 2013 Blasko had amended his description and identified the armored division as the10th Armoured Division (People's Republic of China),as well as adding the 5th Army Aviation Regiment at Nan gian g, Jiangsu.[10]

An unidentified artillery division, probably the unit attached to the 1st Group Army as it is the only artillery division in the Nanjing MR, conducted tactical demonstrations in the East Anhui Mountains in late Fall 2002. The drills included simulated amphibious warfare operations as the unit conducted landing drills and during the course of the exercise had to choose an alternate landing site as the original site had "been destroyed". The unit was able to conduct fire support missions within eleven minutes of landing relocated to avoid counter-battery fires.[11]

The 72nd Group Army appears to comprise sixcombined-armsmaneuverbrigades,which includes one heavy (armored), two medium (mechanized), two amphibious and one light (motorized) brigade, each brigade leads four combined-armsbattalions.These combined arms brigades are the PLAGF's basic operational unit, likely following theUnited States' and laterRussia'stransition from division-centric warfare to brigade-centric warfare. The 72nd Group Army also commands six combat support brigades.[12]

Since 2017, the 72nd Group Army commands the following subordinate units.[13]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Đệ nhất tập đoàn quân:" Thiên hạ đệ nhất quân "".Nhân dân võng.March 12, 2014.
  2. ^Burke, Edmund J. (February 4, 2019)."Coming to a (New) Theater Near You: Command, Control, and Forces"(PDF).National Defense University Press.
  3. ^Xi inspected the 71st Group Army of the People's Liberation Army in Xuzhou(Photograph). December 13, 2017.
  4. ^Staff (2000–2012)."Nanjing Military Region Nanjing Military Area Command".GlobalSecurity.org.RetrievedJune 4,2012.
  5. ^William W. Whitson, with Chen-hsia Huang. (1973) The Chinese high command; a history of Communist military politics, 1927-71. Foreword by Lucian W. Pye.
  6. ^Witson 1972, 114(?)
  7. ^Richard H. Yang eds. China's Military: The PLA in 1992/1993 (Taipei: Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies; 1993): p. 191-2
  8. ^Dennis J. Blasko. "PLA Ground Forces: Moving Toward a Smaller, More Rapidly Deployable, Modern Combined Arms Force" The People's Liberation Army as Organization: Reference Volume v1.0, James C. Mulvenon and Andrew N. D. Yang eds. (Santa Monico: RAND; 2002)
  9. ^Blasko, 2006, 82
  10. ^Blasko 2013, Tradition and Transformation, 97.
  11. ^Nanjing MR Renmin Qianxin 30 October 2002 (PLA Activities Report November 2002)
  12. ^Army Techniques Publication (ATP) 7-100.3: Chinese Tactics(PDF).Washington D.C.: Headquarters, Department of the Army (United States). 2021. p. 35.ISBN9798457607118.
  13. ^"Lessons for China to learn from Ukraine conflict for Taiwan scenario".SinoDefenceForum.February 27, 2022.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=72nd_Group_Army&oldid=1213999616"