16th Group Army

16th Group Army
Active	1949 - present
Country	People's Republic of China
Allegiance	Communist Party of China
Branch	Army
Engagements	Korean War
Commanders
Current commander	Guan Kai

The 16th Group Army is one of the group armies of the People's Liberation Army's Shenyang Military Region. Its predecessor was the 16th Army of the Chinese Communist Forces (CCF).

Organisation

It was composed of the 69th, 46th, 48th,^[1] and 4th Armoured Divisions, the 68th brigade and an artillery brigade.

In 2006 the formation consisted of the:

• Headquarters, Changchun, Jilin
• 46th Motorised Infantry Division, Changchun, Jilin
• 48th Motorised Infantry Brigade, Tonghua, Jilin
• 4th Armoured Division, Meihekou, Jilin
• Artillery Brigade, Yanbian, Jilin
• AA Brigade, Changchun, Jilin

(Source Blasko 2006, 76)

In 2013 the formation consisted of the:

• Headquarters, Changchun, Jilin
• 46th Motorized Infantry Division, (Red Army Division) Changchun, Jilin
• 69th Motorized Infantry Division, Harbin, Heilongjiang
• 48th Motorized Infantry Brigade, Tonghua, Jilin
• 68th Motorized Infantry Brigade (People's Republic of China), Qiqihar, Heilongjiang
• 4th Armoured Division, Meihekou, Jilin
• Artillery Brigade, Yanbian, Jilin
• AA Brigade, Changchun, Jilin

Note Blasko 2013 lists the 4th Armoured Division as a division, not as a brigade.

(Source Blasko, Tradition and Transformation of the PLA, 2013, 89)

History

The origins of this army go back to Nanchang Uprising. After People's Republic of China was established, it belonged to the 62nd Group Army for a while.

On February 19, 1949, column 1 of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region in Henan Shenqiu area became the 16th Army of the People's Liberation Army, was placed under the 5th Corps of the PLA Second Field Army. Yin Xianbing (尹先炳) was appointed army commander.

Notable people

People who served in the 16th Group Army include Xu Caihou, a former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.

References

People's Liberation Army Corps and Armies
Field Armies - Chinese: 野战军	Northwestern - First Zhongyuan - Second Huazhong - Huadong - Third Northeastern - Fourth Shandong Huabei
Army Groups - Chinese: 兵团	1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th 8th 9th 10th 12th 13th 14th 15th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd
Corps - Chinese: 军 Army Corps - Chinese: 陆军军	1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 32nd 33rd 34th 35th 36th 37th 38th 39th 40th 41st 42nd 43rd 44th 45th 46th 47th 48th 49th 50th 51st 52nd 53rd 54th 55th 58th 60th 61st 62nd 63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th 68th 69th 70th
Armies - Chinese: 集团军	1st 12th 13th 14th 16th 20th 21st 23rd 24th 26th 27th 28th 31st 38th 39th 40th 41st 42nd 47th 54th 63rd 64th 65th 67th
Air Force Corps - Chinese: 空军军	1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 15th