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PLA 22nd Army

The 22nd Army of the People's Liberation Army was formerly the 3rd Column of the East China Field Army. The column was developed by some troops from the Lunan Military Region and the Binhai Military Region, which belong to the Shandong Military Region.

On September 14, 1945, the main groups of the 3rd, 5th and 2nd Regiments of the Lunan Military Region subordinate to the Shandong Military Region formed the 8th Division of the Shandong Military Region in Yi County, Shandong Province. Wang Lushui served as the commander and political commissar, He Yixiang served as the deputy commander, and Liu Chun served as the director of the political department. In October, it returned to the frontline headquarters of Jinpu to participate in Jiehe, Yanzhou and Zao Zhuang, Hanzhuang and other battles captured the two cities of Zou County and Teng County and wiped out more than 9,000 people of the 19th Army of the Kuomintang Army. Commander Wang Lushui died in the battle of Teng County.

In January 1946, it was renamed the 8th Division of the Shandong Field Army, He Yixiang served as the division chief, Ding Qiusheng served as the division political commissar, and Liu Chun served as the director of the political department. At the end of June, went south to Huaibei, and in August, participated in the Sixian Battle. In September, it participated in the defense of the two Huaihei Rivers. On the front line of Lai'anji and Yugou, it cooperated with the 2nd Column to block the reinforcement of the 7th Army of the Kuomintang Army. At the end of October, the north returned to Lunan, attacked Taierzhuang and Zaozhuang, and captured the north and south Luo, Taogou Bridge, Yanzijing and other places.

In December, during the Battle of Subei, the commanding heights Fengshan and Xiaodianzi were captured, and the Kuomintang army was completely wiped out to prepare more than 6,000 people in the 3rd Brigade, which played an important role in the entire battle. In January 1947, at the Battle of Lunan, it captured Shangyan, Fenghuang Mountain and Mazhuang, and cooperated with his comrades to wipe out the 26th Division Division of the Kuomintang Army.

In February 1947, the 8th Division of the Shandong Field Army and the Coastal Guard Brigade were organized into the 3rd Column of the East China Field Army. He Yixiang served as commander, Ding Qiusheng served as political commissar, Qin Shimian served as deputy commander, and Liu Chun served as director of the political department. There were 2 divisions under its jurisdiction. The number of the 8th division remains unchanged. The Coastal Guard Brigade was renamed the 9th Division, with a total of more than 25,000 people. In February, blocking aid near Linyi to ensure the smooth progress of the Laiwu campaign. On March 23, the 10th Division of the Lunan Military Region was returned to the 3rd Column and was renamed the 7th Division. In April, cooperating with comrade forces to launch the Tai'an Battle, annihilated the 72nd Division of the Kuomintang Army, and captured more than 11,000 officers and men under the command of Yang Wenquan.

In May, the Yuxinmeng highway blocked, ensuring the smooth progress of the Meng Lianggu battle. From June to July, it attacked the outside line, even in Dawenkou and Ningyang. At the beginning of September, it participated in the battle of sand and soil. In late September, it entered the border areas of Henan, Anhui and Su, and captured Suixikou, Lingbi, Sixian and other places. In November, the section from Suxian to Guzhen on Jinpu Road was broken. On December 13th, it participated in the Pinghan Road breakout battle, broke the Xuchang-Guanting section railway, and captured Xuchang City. From the 25th to the 26th, after the Jinji Luyu Field Army captured the Kongo Temple and annihilated the 3rd Division of the Kuomintang Army Reorganization, they went south to siege Qishan, forcing the Kuomintang army to return from Dabie Mountain.

In January 1948, the organization of the 7th Division was dispersed to work in various districts in the border areas of Henan, Anhui and Su to strengthen local armed construction, and its troops were assigned to the 8th and 9th Divisions. In March, it participated in the Battle of Luoyang and served as the main attack on the southeast and north of Luoyang City, completely destroying the 206th Division of the Kuomintang Army Youth Army. The 1st Battalion of the 23rd Regiment of the 8th Division first broke through the East Gate, and the East China Field Army awarded the honorary title of "Luoyang Camp". In June, it participated in the Battle of Eastern Henan, and captured the Kaifeng together with his comrades to wipe out the defenders. Later in Suiqi area, it cooperated with the comrades to wipe out the life-long regiment. In September, it participated in the Battle of Jinan, attacked the commercial port, broke through the West Gate, and contributed to the liberation of Jinan. The 8th Division Commander Wang Jiwen died in battle.

From November to January 1949, it participated in the Battle of Huaihai, and cooperated with the comrades to annihilate the 181st Division of the Kuomintang Army and the Cao County Security Brigade in Zhanggongdian, west of Xuzhou, and then contributed to the annihilation of the Huang Wei Corps and Du Yuming Group. In February 1949, according to the Central Military Commission’s order to unify the army’s establishment and troop designation, the East China Field Army’s 3rd Column was reorganized into the 22nd Army of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, which was formed by the 7th Corps of the Third Field Army. Sun Jixian served as military commander, Ding Qiusheng served as political commissar, Peng Deqing served as deputy military commander, Lai Guangzu served as chief of staff, and Liu Chun served as director of the political department. Dong Mingchun was appointed Minister of Logistics.

The 24th Regiment of the 8th Division and the Nanhai Independent Regiment of the Jiaodong Military Region were co-edited as the 64th Division, Ma Guansan was the divisional commander, and Li Jingshan was the political commissar; Divisional Political Committee; the 9th Division was renamed the 66th Division, Xie Bin served as the division chief, and Liu Wei served as the division political committee. There were more than 32,000 people in the army. In April, it participated in the battle of crossing the river. After crossing the river in the Wuhu area of Anhui, it entered eastern Zhejiang, liberated Yuyao and Ningbo, and wiped out the remaining Kuomintang troops on the Chuanshan Peninsula. In July, it captured Xiangshan and annihilated the remaining part of the 87th Army of the Kuomintang Army.

In August, captured Daxie Island and Meishan Island, and annihilated the 2nd Regiment of the 75th Army of the Kuomintang Army. In early October, it captured Jintang Island and wiped out the 102nd Division of the Kuomintang Army. In January 1950, Wang Yiping served as military political commissar, Zhang Xiulong served as deputy commander, and Wang Liusheng served as director of the political department. In May, they captured Dinghaiben Island, Daishan, Changtu and other islands, and liberated the Zhoushan Islands together with the comrades. In mid-December of the same year, the 22nd Army, with the support of the East China Navy’s naval forces, attacked Jiushan and Tantoushan islands in southeastern Zhejiang, wiped out the enemy and liberated the two islands, smashing the KMT’s blockade of the Yangtze River estuary to defend East China Coastal security had created favorable conditions.

During the War of Liberation, the 22nd Army participated in more than 100 battles. Many heroic units and individuals such as "Luoyang Camp", Chen Jinhe, and Lin Maocheng emerged.

In October 1954 the central government ordered the demobilization of most of the PLA Second, Fifth, and Sixth Armies and all of the 22nd Army Group in Xinjiang, and their separation from the setups of the national defense forces to form the Production and Construction Corps of the Xinjiang Military District of the PLA, subject to the dual leadership of the Xinjiang Military District and the Xinjiang Sub-bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. The XPCC's missions were to carry out both production and militia duties, and to cultivate and guard the border areas.