42nd Group Army
The 42nd Group Army, headquartered in Hiuzhou, is comprised of three divisions, an armored brigade, an air defense brigade, an ACW regiment and an enginner regiment.
The 42nd Group Army traces it lineage to the Lu-Chung Military District under the Shantung Column in the early 1940s. In October 1945 the unit was reorganized and then redesignated as the 1st Independent Brigade under the command of Wu Jui-lin. From November 1945 thru June 1947 the unit was assigned to the Nan-Man Military Region. In July 1947 the unit was reorganized and redesignated as the 5th Column under the Liao-Tung Military Region. By February 1949 the unit had been reoganized and redesignated as the 42nd Corps of the 14th Army. It was comprised of the 124th, 125th, and 126th Divisions. From mid-September 1949 to early October the 42nd took part in the liberation of Shaoyang and the defeat of the KMT 7th Corps. Following its return from Korea in 1953 the 42nd Corps was located in Kwangtungs.
Elements of the 42nd Group Army participated in an examinational sea-crossing and landing exercise that lasted a week and ended on September 9, 2002. The commander of the group army organized and directed the exercise. The exercise examined the recently improved amphibious capabilities of the group army and utilized joint tactics. [Guangzhou MR Zhanshi Bao 10 Oct 2002 (PLA Activities Report Sep 2002)]
The 42nd Group Army conducted a command post exercise in early 2003 involving officers from divisional, brigade, and regimental levels. The exercise involved over 70 officers and used a "virtual battlefield" using computers. The exercise was a rehearsal for the upcoming integration of "leapfrog" development towards mechanization and greater utilization of computers. The Group Army has reportedly received new equipment and replaced older armaments. Its main battle equipment has appatently been mechanized and a majority of the vehicles have had information elements installed. The article clearly identifies the Commanding General (Liu Yuejun) and Chief of Staff (Zhang Yongda) of the 42nd Group Army though the article did not identify the unit. [Guangzhou MR Zhanshi Bao 25 Feb 2003 (PLA Activities Report Feb 2003)]
A Guangzhou MR air defense brigade (the 42nd Group Army is the only unit with an air defense unit though its commander is listed in the Directory as Li Chuanguang but the PLA Activities summary lists the commander as Ye Dingjiang) conducted live-fire drills in late Autumn 2002 at a target range in Zhanjiang. The exercise involved a no notice mobilization alert and order that required the brigade to move equipment and troops to nearest rail facility and to move its forces to another location. The brigade was able to load some 100 weapons on to the rail cars in roughly 32 minutes. The brigade travelled for 40 hours and upon arrival travelled to a training location where it began conducting combat exercises. [Guangzhou MR Zhanshi Bao 30 Nov 2002 (PLA Activities Report Dec 2002)]
