A legend within a legend: During the period of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea, our army established a new elite force - the 54th Army. Although it was formed later, the history of its 3 divisions dates back much further.
Whether it was participating in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the counterattack against India, or the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam, the 54th Army has always maintained an undefeated record. Despite many major disarmaments, it has always stood tall, and even in the era of 24 group armies, it was among the seven major armies of the whole army.
In terms of equipment level, the 54th Army ranked second only to the 38th Army, which was known as the "Long Live Army". The 54th Army is a rising star, praised for its bravery and good fighting, and its many famous generals.
Since ancient times, the establishment of the "army" has a long history. According to the "Zhou Li" of the Spring and Autumn Period, according to the etiquette system at that time, every 12,500 people were an "army".
Zhou Tianzi had six armies, a total of 75,000 men, while the rest of the vassal powers had three armies, i.e., 37,500 men, medium countries had two armies, i.e., 25,000 men, and small states had only one army.
In the Tang Dynasty, the military strategist Li Jing created the "Seven Armies" system, if more than 20,000 troops were sent in wartime, they were divided into the middle army, the front army of the right wing, the right side of the right army, the right Yu Hou army, the left Yu Hou army, the left side of the left side of the left army and the left side of the rear army.
If there are less than 20,000 people, the establishment will be changed temporarily. In modern times, the Northern Expeditionary Army had more than 100,000 people in eight armies and about 10,000 people in one army. In the history of the development of our army, there have also been a number of important uprisings, the formation of "corps" or "divisions".
For example, the Nanchang Uprising was called the "Second Front Army", the Autumn Harvest Uprising was called the "First Division of the First Army of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army", and the Guangzhou Uprising was called the "Fourth Division of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army".
After the Jute Uprising in Hubei, Henan and Anhui, it was renamed the "Eastern Hubei Army of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army", and then renamed the "7th Army of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army". However, during the period of the Red Army, the establishment of the army was not standardized, ranging in number from a few thousand to tens of thousands.
During the all-out War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Red Army was reorganized into the Eighth Route Army and the Eighteenth Group Army, and the Southern Guerrilla Army was reorganized into the New 4th Army.
In 1979, during the War of Liberation during the 54th Army Commander Han Huaizhi's counterattack against Vietnam, our army formed a "column" at the division and brigade level. Although the size of our army's columns is comparable to that of the army, due to the huge disparity in the strength of the field army's columns, the highest column has more than 50,000 troops, while the lowest column has only more than 10,000 troops.
After the three major battles, the columns of the whole army were unified and reorganized into "armies." In June 1949, there were 67 armies in the four major field armies and the North China Military Region, and there were 3 corps and 12 corps in the first field, including 2 corps and 3 independent armies of the 22nd Corps of the uprising;
Erye has 3 corps and 10 armies, of which Noji is directly under the 19th Army;Mino had 4 corps and 16 corps, including the army of the uprising;Siye had 4 corps and 16 corps, including the 50th Army and the 51st Army of the uprisingThe North China Military Region has 3 corps and 13 corps, including the army directly under it.
In October 1952, in order to turn the battle to the 38th parallel, the new number 54th Army came into being, which was formed by the 130th Division of the 44th Army and the military headquarters of the 45th Army, the 134th Division, and the 135th Division.
Although the 54th Army was formed relatively late, the three divisions under its command have a long history. Among them, the predecessor of the 44th Army was the Dongye 7th Column, the first commander was General Deng Hua, the political commissar was Tao Zhu, and famous generals He Jinnian, Wu Fushan, Gao Tiqian, and Yuan Shengping had fought in the 44th Army.
The predecessor of the 130th Division was the 3rd Column of Jinchaji during the Anti-Japanese War, and the first division commander was Major General Xu Shaohua.
The 130th Division of the 44th Army, as an important force of the squadron, has always won praise for its strong strength and outstanding performance. Its predecessor can be traced back to the 8th Column of Dongye, the Jireliao Army, the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo Army, the Ruijin Regiment of the Red Army, and the 3rd Division of the Red Army.
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the unit was incorporated into the 1st Brigade of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo Border Region Police, and later developed into the 13th, 16th and 18th Brigades of Jireliao Independence. Today, it has become an important part of the 54th Army, led by the commander of the 54th Army, Ding Sheng, and political commissar Xie Ming, who have participated in many important battles such as resisting US aggression and aiding Korea, counterinsurgency, and counterattacking the Indian army, and have achieved remarkable results.
Lieutenant General Han Huaizhi, a general who was awarded the rank of military in 1988, at the beginning of reform and opening up, in the face of Vietnam's frequent provocations in southern Xinjiang, in order to warn the provocations on the border, respond to the deployment of Big Brother's million soldiers in northern Xinjiang, and ensure the external environment of reform and opening up, Deng Gong decided to carry out a comprehensive counterattack.
In this counterattack, a total of 9 armies from 4 major military regions were dispatched, with a total of 300,000 people launching a thunderous attack in southern Xinjiang. In this battle, the 54th Army and the 43rd Army participated in the battle as units of the Siye System, and the 41st, 42nd, and 55th Armies of the Guangzhou Military Region, the 11th and 14th Armies of the Kunming Military Region, and the 13th and 50th Armies of the Chengdu Military Region also participated in the battle.
In this counterattack, the 55th Army and the 13th Army performed the best, so much so that at that time there was a saying that "there are 55 in the east and 149 in the west". Among them, the 55th Army was the only unit among the nine armies participating in the battle that destroyed more than 10,000 enemies, while the 13th Army destroyed more than 8,000 enemies and captured hundreds of people, accounting for a quarter of all prisoners.
The 54th Army under the command of Lieutenant General Han Huaizhi also achieved good results, destroying more than 4,200 enemies, of which the 160th Division, renamed from the 130th Division, destroyed 854 enemies and captured 77 in 19 days in the Gaoping area, winning honor for the 54th Army.
The 54th Army, with its outstanding performance in foreign wars, was spared the million-dollar disarmament and became one of the first armies among the newly formed 24 group armies. At the same time, the 54th Army and the 38th Army and the 39th Army of the Siye System have become one of the three major rapid reaction forces.
After several adjustments and upgrades, the strength of the 54th Army has been continuously improved, and its equipment level and combat effectiveness have ranked among the best in the whole army, becoming a modern unit second only to the 38th Group Army.
In the process of military reform, the 54th Army successfully survived and continued to move forward. In addition to the historical heritage and past glory, the surviving ace troops also have an important measurement indicator: foreign war achievements.
The 54th Army has performed well on battlefields such as the 38th Parallel, the snowy plateau, and the jungles of southern Xinjiang, and has successfully "shown its sword" in the face of strong enemies such as the US-ROK coalition army, the ace of the Indian army, and the Vietnamese army.
The heroes of the 54th Army emerged in an endless stream, including the founding fathers such as Mr. Zhu and Mr. Lin, as well as the backbone forces such as Deng Hua, Ding Sheng, and Han Huaizhi, as well as rising stars such as He Qizong, Li Jiulong, and Zhang Wannian.
Constantly integrate and increase fresh blood, so that the strength of the 54th Army is deeper and the foundation is evergreen.
Exploring historical traces and carrying forward the heroic spirit, Dong Zhanlin (third from right), commander of the 130th Division of the 54th Army under on-site investigation, is holding a submachine gun, and He Qizong, the guard behind him, is always ready. This general, who showed heroic demeanor in the war against Vietnam, is the pride and glorious example of the 54th Army