74th Group Army
{{Use American English|date=January 2019}}{{Short description|Chinese military unit}}{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}{{infobox military unit
| unit_name
| native_name = 第七十四集团军
| image = File:People's Liberation Army Ground Force sleeve badge.svg
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| dates = 1949-present
| country = {{PRC}}
| branch = {{Army|China}}
| type = Group army
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| command_structure = Southern Theater Command Ground Force
| garrison = Huizhou, Guangdong
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| battles = World War II
Chinese Civil War
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| commander1 = Major General Huang Xucong
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| commander2 = Major General Liu Hongjun
| commander2_label = Political commissar
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| notable_commanders = Wu Kehua
Li Zuocheng
| identification_symbol = 150px
| identification_symbol_label = NATO Map Symbol
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The 74th Group Army ({{Zh|s=第七十四集团军|p=Dì Qīshísì Jítuánjūn}}), Unit 31661, formerly the 42nd Group Army, is a military formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF). The 74th Group Army is one of thirteen total group armies of the PLAGF, the largest echelon of ground forces in the People's Republic of China, and one of two assigned to the nation's Southern Theater Command.{{Cite news |last=Burke |first=Edmund J. |date=4 February 2019 |title=Coming to a (New) Theater Near You: Command, Control, and Forces |work=National Defense University Press |url=https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Portals/68/Documents/Books/Chairman-Xi/Chairman-Xi_Chapter-6.pdf?ver=2019-02-08-112005-803}}
History
During the Korean War, the Army was part of the People's Volunteer Army (Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) or Chinese Communist Forces (CCF)) XIII Army Group. It was composed of the 124th, 125th, and 126th Divisions.{{cite book | chapter-url = http://www.history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/sn39.htm | last = Appleman | first = Roy E. | page = 768 | chapter = Chapter XXXIX The Big Question | url = http://www.history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/toc.htm | title = South to the Nakton, North to the Yalu | id = CMH Pub 20-2-1 | series = United States Army in the Korean War | year = 1992 | orig-year = 1961 | publisher = United States Army Center of Military History | access-date = December 27, 2017 | archive-date = November 2, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131102112322/http://www.history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/toc.htm | url-status = dead }}
During the Korean War, the 42nd Army was commanded by Lieutenant General Wu Ruilin.[http://www.paulnoll.com/Korea/War/General-Wu-Ruilin.html Chinese Lieutenant General Wu Ruilin, Activities in Korean War]
Major CPV forces did not enter Korea until the night of Oct. 16, 1950, when the 124th Division, of the 42nd Army of the XIIIth Army Group crossed the Yalu River opposite Manp'ojin.[http://www.centurychina.com/history/faq2.shtml Korean War FAQ, from CenturyChina.com] On the 16th it started on foot from Manp'ojin, marching southeast through Kanggye and Yudam-ni to Hagaru-ri. From there its advanced elements proceeded to the point south of the Changjin Reservoir where they met the ROK 26th Regiment on 25 October. The remainder of the division moved up to the point of contact and joined in the battle near Sudong against the U.S. 1st Marine Division troops that replaced the ROK 26th Regiment.{{cite book | chapter-url = http://www.history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/sn36.htm | last = Appleman | first = Roy E. | page = 719 | chapter = Chapter XXXVI The Big Question | url = http://www.history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/toc.htm | title = South to the Nakton, North to the Yalu | id = CMH Pub 20-2-1 | series = United States Army in the Korean War | year = 1992 | orig-year = 1961 | publisher = United States Army Center of Military History | access-date = December 27, 2017 | archive-date = November 2, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131102112322/http://www.history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/toc.htm | url-status = dead }}
The 42nd Army and the 38th Army were pouring through the broken South Korean lines to Eighth Army’s east and threatening to envelop the entire force.{{cite book | url = http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/kw-chinter/chinter.htm | title = The Korean War: The Chinese Intervention | page = 12 | publisher = United States Army Center of Military History | first = Richard W. | last = Stewart | id = CMH Pub 19-8 | access-date = December 27, 2017 | archive-date = December 3, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111203234437/http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/kw-chinter/chinter.htm | url-status = dead }}
The west flank units of this army, elements of the 125th Division, overlapped into the Eighth Army zone and apparently constituted the [https://yellowstonejacketco.com/product/yellowstone-beth-dutton-studded-handbag/ Yellowstone Beth Dutton Studded Handbag] enemy force that dispersed the ROK 7th Regiment below Ch'osan at the end of October 1950.{{cite book | chapter-url = http://www.history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/sn39.htm | last = Appleman | first = Roy E. | page = 767 | chapter = Chapter XXXIX The Big Question | url = http://www.history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/toc.htm | title = South to the Nakton, North to the Yalu | id = CMH Pub 20-2-1 | series = United States Army in the Korean War | year = 1992 | orig-year = 1961 | publisher = United States Army Center of Military History | access-date = December 27, 2017 | archive-date = November 2, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131102112322/http://www.history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/toc.htm | url-status = dead }}
In October 1952 the 46th Army replaced the 42nd Army and they were rotated back to China.
Organization
The 74th Group Army appears to comprise six combined-arms maneuver brigades, which includes one heavy (armored), one medium (mechanized), two amphibious and two light (motorized) brigades, each brigade leads four combined-arms battalions. These combined arms brigades are the PLAGF's basic operational unit, likely following the United States' and later Russia's transition from division-centric warfare to brigade-centric warfare. The 74th Group Army also commands six combat support brigades.{{Cite book |url=https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN33195-ATP_7-100.3-000-WEB-1.pdf |title=Army Techniques Publication (ATP) 7-100.3: Chinese Tactics |publisher=Headquarters, Department of the Army (United States) |year=2021 |isbn=9798457607118 |location=Washington D.C. |pages=35 |language=en}}
Since 2017, the 74th Group Army commanded the following subordinate units.{{Cite web |date=27 February 2022 |title=Lessons for China to learn from Ukraine conflict for Taiwan scenario |url=https://www.sinodefenceforum.com/t/lessons-for-china-to-learn-from-ukraine-conflict-for-taiwan-scenario.8923/page-132#post-832471 |website=SinoDefenceForum}}
- 1st Amphibious Combined-Arms Brigade (ZTD-05, ZBD-05)
- {{ill|16th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade|zh|中国人民解放军陆军合成第十六旅}} (ZTZ-96, ZBD-86A)
- {{ill|125th Amphibious Combined-Arms Brigade|zh|中国人民解放军陆军合成第一二五旅}} (ZTD-05, ZBD-05)
- {{ill|132nd Light Combined-Arms Brigade|zh|中国人民解放军陆军合成第一三二旅}}
- {{ill|154th Medium Combined-Arms Brigade|zh|中国人民解放军陆军合成第一五四旅}} (ZTL-11, ZBL-08)
- {{ill|163rd Light Combined-Arms Brigade|zh| 中国人民解放军陆军合成第一六三旅}}
- 74th Special Operations Brigade
- 74th Army Aviation Brigade (Mi-17, Z-9, Z-10)
- 74th Air Defense Brigade
- {{ill|74th Artillery Brigade|zh| 中国人民解放军陆军炮兵第七十四旅}}
- 74th Engineering and Chemical Defense Brigade
- 74th Service Support Brigade
References
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{{Corps and Armies of the People's Liberation Army}}
Category:Field armies of the People's Volunteer Army