79th Group Army

79th Group Army
第七十九集团军
Active	1948–present
Country	People's Republic of China
Allegiance	Chinese Communist Party
Branch	People's Liberation Army Ground Force
Type	Group army
Part of	Northern Theater Command Ground Force
Garrison/HQ	Liaoyang, Liaoning
Engagements	Long March World War II Chinese Civil War Korean War
Commanders
Political Commissar	Major General Zhang Xiao
Notable commanders	Xu Haidong
Insignia
NATO Map Symbol

The 79th Group Army (Chinese: 第七十九集团军; pinyin: Dì Qīshíjiǔ Jítuánjūn), Unit 31671, formerly the 39th Group Army, is a military formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Forces (PLAGF). The 79th 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 three assigned to the nation's Northern Theater Command.^[1]

History

The army was a military formation of the People's Volunteer Army (People's Volunteer Army (PVA) or Chinese Communist Forces (CCF)) during the Korean War. It comprised the 115th, 116th, and 117th Divisions.^[2]

In April 1953, the corps returned from North Korea and redeployed at Liaoyang, Liaoning Province.

In April 1960, the corps was redesignated as the 39th Army Corps(Chinese: 陆军第39军). Since then the structure of the corps was:

• Corps Headquarters
• 115th Army Division
  • 343rd Regiment
  • 344th Regiment
  • 345th Regiment
  • 395th Artillery Regiment
  • 320th Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment
• 116th Army Division
  • 346th Regiment
  • 347th Regiment
  • 348th Regiment
  • 396th Artillery Regiment
  • 321st Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment
• 117th Army Division
  • 349th Regiment
  • 350th Regiment
  • 351st Regiment
  • 397th Artillery Regiment
  • 322nd Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment
• 144th Artillery Regiment
• 64th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment

In 1969, the numbers in designations of the artillery and anti-aircraft artillery regiments were dropped.

In February 1976, the Tank Regiment of 39th Army Corps was activated from the 11th Tank Regiment, 3rd Tank Division.

By 1976 the army corps was composed of:

• Corps Headquarters
• 115th Army Division
  • 343rd Regiment
  • 344th Regiment
  • 345th Regiment
  • Artillery Regiment
• 116th Army Division
  • 346th Regiment
  • 347th Regiment
  • 348th Regiment
  • Artillery Regiment
• 117th Army Division
  • 349th Regiment
  • 350th Regiment
  • 351st Regiment
  • Artillery Regiment
• Tank Regiment
• Artillery Regiment
• Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment

In 1983, the 3rd Tank Division and the 7th Artillery Division were put under 39th Army Corps' control.

In May 1984, Tank Regiment, 39th Army Corps was attached to the 116th Army Division following the latter's reconstruction into a mechanized army division.

In September 1985, the 39th Army Corps was reconstituted as the 39th Army(Chinese: 第39集团军). The army was then composed of:

• Army Headquarters
• 115th Infantry Division - a northern motorized infantry division, category A
  • 343rd Infantry Regiment
  • 344th Infantry Regiment
  • 345th Infantry Regiment
  • Tank Regiment
  • Artillery Regiment
  • Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
• 116th Infantry Division - a mechanized infantry division
  • 346th Mechanized Infantry Regiment
  • 347th Mechanized Infantry Regiment
  • 348th Mechanized Infantry Regiment
  • Tank Regiment
  • Artillery Regiment
  • Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
• 117th Infantry Division - a northern motorized infantry division, category B
  • 349th Infantry Regiment
  • 350th Infantry Regiment
  • 351st Infantry Regiment
  • Tank Regiment
  • Artillery Regiment
  • Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
• 3rd Tank Division - a combined arms army tank division
  • 9th Tank Regiment
  • 10th Tank Regiment
  • 12th Tank Regiment
  • Mechanized Infantry Regiment
  • Artillery Regiment
  • Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment
• Artillery Brigade
• Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade
• Engineer Regiment
• Communications Regiment

In May-June 1989, the army participated in the crackdown on protest and riots in urban Beijing area.

In 1996, the 117th Infantry Division detached from the army to become a People's Armed Police unit. Tank Regiment, 114th Infantry Division was put under direct control by the army until 1998, when it was disbanded. In 1998, 190th Infantry Division joined the army as the 190th Mechanized Infantry Brigade.

As of 2010, the army was composed of:

• Army Headquarters
• 115th Infantry Division
  • 343rd Infantry Regiment
  • 345th Infantry Regiment
  • Armored Regiment
  • Artillery Regiment
  • Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
• 116th Infantry Division
  • 346th Mechanized Infantry Regiment
  • 347th Mechanized Infantry Regiment
  • Armored Regiment
  • Artillery Regiment
  • Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
• 3rd Armored Division
  • 9th Armored Regiment
  • 10th Armored Regiment
  • 12th Armored Regiment
  • Artillery Regiment
  • Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment
• 190th Mechanized Infantry Brigade
• Artillery Brigade
• Anti-Aircraft Brigade
• Army Aviation Brigade
• 6th Engineer Regiment
• Communications Regiment
• NBC Defense Regiment
• EW Regiment

As of 2016, the army was composed of:

• Army Headquarters
• 115th Infantry Brigade
• 116th Infantry Division
  • 346th Mechanized Infantry Regiment
  • 347th Mechanized Infantry Regiment
  • Armored Regiment
  • Artillery Regiment
  • Anti-Aircraft Regiment
• 3rd Armored Brigade
• 190th Mechanized Infantry Brigade
• 202nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade
• 203rd Motorized Infantry Brigade
• Artillery Brigade
• Anti-Aircraft Brigade
• Army Aviation Brigade
• 6th Engineer Regiment
• Communications Regiment
• NBC Defense Regiment
• EW Regiment

Organization

The 79th Group Army is composed of:

• 46th Medium Combined Arms Brigade [zh]
• 116th Heavy Combined Arms Brigade [zh]
• 119th Light Combined Arms Brigade [zh]
• 190th Heavy Combined Arms Brigade [zh]
• 191st Light Combined Arms Brigade [zh]
• 79th Special Operations Brigade
• 79th Army Aviation Brigade
• 79th Artillery Brigade [zh]
• 79th Air Defense Brigade
• 79th Engineering Brigade
• 79th Chemical Defense Brigade
• 79th Service Support Brigade

References

1. Burke, Edmund J. (February 4, 2019). "Coming to a (New) Theater Near You: Command, Control, and Forces" (PDF). National Defense University Press.
2. Appleman, Roy E. "XXXIX The Big Question". South to the Naktong, North to the Yalu. United States Army Center of Military History. p. 768. CMH Pub 20-2-1.