20th Army (People's Republic of China)

=Organization=

The Chinese "Army" has more or less a direct organizational relation to the "Corps" terminology employed by other nations. It is subordinate to the Chinese "Group Army" (or "Army Group") and usually consists of three divisions with other attached or otherwise organic units.

History

The 20th Army was a military formation of the People's Volunteer Army (Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) or Chinese Communist Forces (CCF)) during the Korean War.

The 20th Army started as the communist Red Army Eastern Fujian Independent Division, a collection of guerrilla forces operating in Eastern Fujian Province during the 1920s. After the Japanese invasion, it was incorporated into the New Fourth Army as Third Support Group, 6th Regiment. It was first under the command of Jiangnan Headquarters, and then Subei Headquarters with a nickname, "Jiangnan Anti-Japanese Righteous and Brave Army" ( Jiangnan Kangri Yiyong Jun ).

In October 1940, it defected the Nationalist's anti-communist elements in the battle of Yellow Bridge (Huang Qiao). After the Wannan incident of January 1941, the 6th Regiment was reformed as 1st Division, New Fourth Army. In December 1944, under the command of Su Yu, the 1st Division and its three main regiments, moved down south and crossed the Yangtze river and became the 4th Column of the Zhejiang Military District (MD), while the wounded remained in Jiangnan and formed the "Jiang Anti-Japanese Eastern Route Headquarters" and later became part of the 6th Division, 18th Brigade, New Fourth Army, eventually rejoining the 20th Army as 59th Division's 175th Regiment.

After the victory of the Anti-Japanese war in late 1945, and according the treaty of Zhongqing, Zhejing MD's military forces were ordered to moved north into Shandong province and joined the newly formed Shandong Field Army as its 1st Column with Ye Fei and its commander and Lai Chuanzhu as the political commissar. The 1st Column's three main elements were the 1st Brigade (ex-Zhejiang 4th Column), 2nd Brigade (ex-Suzhong's MD's training brigade), and the 3rd Brigade (ex-Zhejing's 2nd Column).

In 1947, the Shandong Field Army was renamed as Huadong Field Army, and three brigades of the 1st Column were enlarged to Division size as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions. The 1st Column became the main fighting formation of the Huadong Field Army and took parts in epic battles such as Mengling, Yu Wan Su, and Huaihai.

In February 1949, the 1st Column was renamed and reassigned as PLA 20th Army of 3rd Field Army, 9th Army Group, with Lu Fei as its commander and Chen Shifu as the political commissar. Its three divisions were renamed as 58th, 59th, 60th Infantry Divisions. Right after the reform, the 20th Army took part in the battle of Yangtze Crossing, and Battle of Shanghai.

After the Civil War, the 20th was stationed in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas and prepared for the invasion of Taiwan as a reserve formation.

After the Korean War broke out, the 20th Army entered Korea in November 1950, and returned to China in October 1952, as one of the first PLA armies to return, and was located in the Chekiang area. [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/20ga.htm China, 20th Group Army] ]

The 20th Army consisted of the 58th, 59th, 60th Division's and 89th Division's, though the 89th Division was attached to the 20th Army from its parent unit, the 30th Army. [ [http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/brochures/kw-chinter/chinter.htm The Korean War: The Chinese Intervention, pg 17] ] [ [http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/korea/20-2-1/sn39.htm Appleman, Roy E. "South to the Naktong, North to the Yalu", pg 768] ]

Elements of 20th also took part in the 1979 Sino-Vietnam war.

Current

The unit appears to still be active as part of the Jinan Military Region, [ [http://www.sinodefence.com/organisation/groundforces/default.asp PLA Ground Forces] ] as one of the new "all brigade" Group Armies. [ [http://www.china-defense.com/orbat/pla_orbat/pla_orbat_18.html People's Liberation Army, Order of Battle, Jinan Military Region (2/3)] ]

The current Commander is Yuan Jialxin, and the Political Commissar is Yang Jianting.

References