In 1949, it was adapted from the Second Field Army of Liu Deng's army, with three corps under its jurisdiction, led by famous generals such as Chen Geng and Yang Yong, with a total of nine corps. Although the size of the troops was not as large as that of other field armies, four of them performed well after the founding of New China, and thus became one of the first 24 group armies. The 15th Army was reorganized into the Chitose Airborne Army in 1961, stationed in Xiaogan, Hubei, and enjoyed the reputation of the Chitose Army.
These four land tigers were the divisions of a hundred battles in the history of our army, the main force in resisting the reactionaries during the revolutionary war years, and the heroic units guarding the border after the founding of New China. The first was the 16th Army, which was adapted from the first column of the Central Plains Field Army, and the first commander was Yin Xianbing. Although Yin Xianbing's reputation is not prominent, the 16th Army is a force that can win battles, originating from the first column led by three famous generals, including the founding generals Yang Dezhi, Yang Yong, and Su Zhenhua.
The 16th Army developed a tenacious combat style, and was brave and fearless in battles such as the Battle of Crossing the River and the Liberation of the Southwest. In 1953, all of them were equipped with Soviet equipment and participated in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, achieving brilliant results. As the last batch of volunteers to enter the DPRK, it is also the last batch of troops to withdraw to the country. It has been stationed in the three northeastern provinces for a long time, so it has won the reputation of the Changbai Tiger Army. The second was the 13th Army, which developed from the Fourth Column of the Central Plains Field Army.
General Chen Geng's 15th Corps during the liberation period included the 13th Army and the 15th Army of the Chitose Army. Strictly speaking, the 13th Army is also an elite unit trained by General Chen Geng, because before the reorganization of the whole army, General Chen Geng was the commander of the fourth column of the Central Plains Field Army. After the victory of the Huaihai Campaign, the two brigades of the Fourth Column were reorganized into the 13th Army, and the first commander was the famous tiger general General Zhou Xihan.
Zhou Xihan had an outstanding record against the Japanese during the Anti-Japanese War, and was praised by Liu Shuai, the commander of the Second Field Army, as Zhao Zilong in the army. On the battlefield of liberation, Zhou Xihan became General Chen Geng's most trusted general, and the cooperation of these two famous generals became a strong combination, they led the 13th Army to shock the enemy army in East China, and destroyed and captured a large number of enemy troops when they marched west into Yunnan. Zhou Xihan thus became one of the generals who captured the largest number of enemy generals on the liberation battlefield.
The 13th Army, under the leadership of Zhou Xihan, became an elite unit on the battlefield of liberation. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the 13th Army was stationed on the border of Yunnan for a long time and accumulated rich experience in mountain and jungle warfare, so it was called the Mountain Tiger Army. The 14th Army was also developed from the Fourth Column of the Central Plains Field Army, and was known as a brother unit with the 13th Army, both of which belonged to General Chen Geng's Fourth Corps. These two troops were stationed on the southwestern border for a long time on the battlefield of liberation and after the founding of New China, and were good at jungle warfare, so they were called the Jungle Tiger Army.
The predecessor of the 12th Army was the Sixth Column of the Central Plains Field Army, known as the sharp knife of the Central Plains. During the War of Liberation, the 12th Army played a key role many times, whether it was the Huaihai Campaign, the advance into the Dabie Mountains, or the Battle of Crossing the River and the Southwest Campaign, the powerful 12th Army always fought bravely and became the key force in the final victory of each battle. The 12th Army performed valiantly in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and cooperated with the 15th Army to command the famous Battle of Shangganling, which was praised by Liu Deng and the two field army leaders.
This battle is regarded as the most influential one on the battlefield to resist US aggression and aid Korea, and its victory or defeat is directly related to whether the campaign can end early. The People's Volunteers showed extraordinary courage in the Shangganling Campaign, established military prestige, and made important contributions to the perfect conclusion of the Campaign to Aid Korea. After returning to China, the 12th Army became a heroic unit that defended the territory of the motherland and ensured the people's livelihood. At the same time, the 12th Army received such resounding titles as the Iron-Blooded Assault Army and the Hundred Generals.