40th Group Army

The 40th Group Army, headquartered in Jinzhou, was believed to be comprised of an armored brigade, two motorized infantry brigades, a AAA brigade, an artillery brigade, and an engineer regiment. There is a possible indication that there is a division assigned to the 40th Group Army, according to the 2002 Directory of PRC Military Personalities. The Directory indicates on page 219 under the 40th Group Army that Gao Chunlin is the political officer of a "UI DIV". This would seem to indicate that there was a division organic to the 40th that is not well attested.

40th Army - Early History

The predecessor of the 40th Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army was the 3rd Column of the Northeast Field Army. The column was developed by some armed forces in the Luzhong Military Region and the Jire Liao Military Region.

On August 1, 1942, the Eighth Route Army’s Shandong Column was predominantly organized into the Luzhong Military Region. Luo Shunchu [Lieutenant General] served as commander and political commissar, Shi Xiaojiang served as Chief of Staff, and Zhou Chiping [Lieutenant General Kai ] served as director of the Political Department. Jurisdiction over the 1st (4th Brigade and Part), 2nd and 3rd Military Divisions and Military District Direct Regiment. In September 1943, the 4th and 5th Army divisions were added. In August 1945, the main forces of the Luzhong Military Region were reorganized into the 3rd and 4th Divisions and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Brigade of the Shandong Military Region.

In August 1945, in order to implement the strategic deployment of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to the northeast and strive to control the northeast, Zeng Kelin, the commander of the 16th Military Division of the Jire Liao Military Region [Major General], Tang Kai, Political Commissar [ Majoring], was ordered to lead more than 4,000 people from each regiment entered Shenyang and Benxi areas in Liaoning. In October, it was expanded to 21st, 23rd Brigade and other departments. In November and December, Luo Shunchu, a political commissar of the Luzhong Military Region [Lieutenant General], was ordered to lead a total of more than 9,000 people in the 3rd Division of the Shandong People's Liberation Army and the 3rd Brigade of the Shandong Military Region, and then moved to Liaoyang and Anshan in Liaoning. In January 1946, according to the decision of the Northeast Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, in the Benxi area of Liaoning, the 3rd Division of Shandong Military Region, the 3rd Brigade of Shandong Military Region, and the 21st and 23rd Brigade under the jurisdiction of the 16th Military Division of Liaoning Province. It was organized as the 3rd column of the Northeast Democratic Coalition Army. The column headquarters was composed of the leadership of the Liaodong (Nanman) Military Region of the Northeast Democratic Coalition Army.

Cheng Shicai [Lieutenant General] served as commander of the column, and Luo Shunchu [Lieutenant General] served as a political commissar, Zeng Kelin[Major] serves as deputy commander, and Tang Kai [Major] serves as deputy political commissar. Under the jurisdiction: the 7th Brigade, mainly adapted by the 3rd Division of the Shandong Liberation Army; the 8th Brigade, adapted from the 21st Brigade of the 16th Military Division of the Jire Liao Military Region; the 9th Brigade, by the 3rd Brigade and 16th Army of the Shandong Military Region Adaptation of the 23rd Brigade of the Division.

There were more than 26,000 people in the whole column. In July, the brigade was renamed Division. In November, the column headquarters was separated from the leadership of the Liaodong Military Region. Zeng Kelin [Major General Founding Party] served as commander of the column, Luo Shunchu [Lieutenant General Founding Party]He served as political commissar, Xie Fang served as deputy commander and chief of staff, and Tang Kai served as deputy political commissar and director of the political department. In January 1948, the 3rd Column of the Northeast Democratic Coalition Army was renamed the 3rd Column of the Northeast People's Liberation Army. After the establishment of the column, they participated in battles in the Liaoyang and Benxi areas, battles in the defense of Siping, and battles in the battle of Linjiang and Sibao, and wiped out more than 37,000 enemies. From March to August 1948, a new army consolidation campaign and military training were conducted. From September to November, it participated in the Liao-Shen campaign. Together with his comrades, it took part in the first Yi County, attacking Jinzhou, fighting Liaoxi, and besieging the Kuomintang Army Liao Yaoxiang Corps. In this campaign, the 3rd column wiped out more than 39,000 Kuomintang troops and captured Liao Yaoxiang, the commander of the 9th Corps of the Kuomintang army.

In November 1948, in accordance with the Central Military Commission's order to unify the army's establishment and troop designation, the 3rd column of the Northeast People's Liberation Army was reorganized into the 40th Army of the People's Liberation Army in Jinzhou, Liaoning Province. Han Xianchu served as military commander, Luo Shun served as political commissar, Shaq served as deputy military commander, Liu Xiyuan served as deputy political commissar, Zhuoxiong served as director of the political department, and Zhou Hui served as minister of logistics. The 7th Division was renamed as 118th Division, Deng Yue was appointed as the division chief, Li Boqiu was appointed as the Political Commissioner, 8th Division was renamed as the 119th Division, Ning Xianwen was appointed as the division, and Liu Guangtao was the Political Committee; Redesignated as a political commissar; the 1st Division of the Independent People’s Liberation Army of the Northeast was reassigned to the 153rd Division of the military system, Guan Songtao was the division commander, and Ma Yizhi was the deputy political commissar (political commissar not appointed).

It included more than 90,000 people. From December to January 1949, advance troops entered the Xianghe area of Hebei to participate in the Battle of Pingjin. First captured the Beiyuan (now Beijing) Nanyuan Airport, and then completed the task of surrounding and dividing the Beiping Kuomintang army with the comrades. In February, the 40th Army marched from Beiping to Central China and South China. In March, it was incorporated into the 12th Corps of the Fourth Field Army. Luo Shun first served as the army commander (later by Han Xianchu, deputy commander of the Corps), Zhuoxiong served as the political commissar (later Yuan Shengping), Cai Zhengguo served as the deputy army commander, He Zhenya served as the chief of staff (later Ning Xianwen), and Li Boqiu served as the director of the political department. In May, it joined the 43rd Army to participate in the battle between Hanxun to cross the river, liberating more than 10 cities and counties such as Wuhan, a major town in central China. In June, the 153rd Division was transferred to the establishment of the Wuhan Security Command. In July, participated in the Battle of Hunan and Jiangxi. From September to October, it participated in the Battle of Hengbao, served as a frontal assault mission for the Chinese Army, and annihilated the 7th Army Headquarters and 4 elite divisions of the Kuomintang Army Bai Chongxi Group with the comrades.

From November to December, it participated in the Battle of Guangxi under the direct command of the Fourth Field Army, continuously chasing the Kuomintang Army Bai Chongxi Group for 21 days and nights, and completely wiped out its 125th Army. After that, it assembled in Qinzhou, Fangcheng and Hepu areas. At the end of December, it transferred to the leadership of the 15th Corps of the Fourth Field Army. From March to early May 1950, it participated in the landing campaign of Hainan Island. The army successfully smuggled the first batch of the 1st Battalion of the 352th Regiment of the 118th Division, and then organized the reinforcement of the frontal smuggling and the main force of the army. Qiongya column and other departments took the victory and pursued together, liberating Hainan Island. In this campaign, the 40th Army wiped out more than 14,000 officers and men under the command of Lieutenant General Wang Enhua of the 3rd Fleet of the Kuomintang Army.

From June to July 1950, it was ordered to enter the Andong (Lingdan East) area of Liaoning and transferred to the Northeast Military Region. During the War of Liberation, the 40th Army emerged a number of heroic figures such as the "landing pioneer camp" and other collectives, "all-round heroes" Zhao Xingyuan and the heroic hero Chen Shutang. More than 40,000 people. From June to July 1950, it was ordered to enter the Andong (Lingdan East) area of Liaoning and transferred to the Northeast Military Region. During the War of Liberation, the 40th Army emerged a number of heroic figures such as the "landing pioneer camp" and other collectives, "all-round heroes" Zhao Xingyuan and the heroic hero Chen Shutang.

It consisted of more than 40,000 people. From June to July 1950, it was ordered to enter the Andong (Lingdan East) area of Liaoning and transferred to the Northeast Military Region. During the War of Liberation, the 40th Army emerged a number of heroic figures such as the "landing pioneer camp" and other collectives, "all-round heroes" Zhao Xingyuan and the heroic hero Chen Shutang.

On October 19, 1950, the 40th Army entered the DPRK as the first batch of Chinese People's Volunteers to participate in the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth battles, position counterattack operations, and preparations for the West Coast anti-landing operations. In the first battle, the first battle was won in the south of Yunshan, Liangshuidong, Wenjing, east of Wenjing, Guchang and other places. The first battle to win the war of resistance against the United States and aid to North Korea was awarded by Peng Dehuai and other volunteer army leaders.

Chairman Mao Zedong also called congratulations from home. In the second battle, the 40th Army and the 1st Corps of the Korean People’s Army recaptured the North Korean capital Pyongyang, then intercepted and evaded the enemy, and recovered important towns such as Nanpu, Tieyuan, Xinxi, etc. A glorious page was written in the history of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. Many battle heroes and collective heroes such as Wang Xuefeng, Liu Weihan, Zhi Quansheng, Wang Qinglin, Kong Fanyu emerged in the battle. In July 1953, the 40th Army returned from North Korea.