42nd Army (People's Republic of China)
Encyclopedia
The 42nd Army is a group army - a roughly corps
-sized military formation - of the Chinese People's Liberation Army
, active since the late 1940s.
, 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.
During the Korean War
, the 42nd Army was commanded by Lieutenant General Wu Ruilin.
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. 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.
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.
The west flank units of this army, elements of the 125th Division, overlapped into the Eighth Army zone and apparently constituted the enemy force that dispersed the ROK 7th Regiment
below Ch'osan at the end of October 1950.
In October 1952 the 46th Army replaced the 42nd Army and they were rotated back to China.
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
-sized military formation - of the Chinese People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
, active since the late 1940s.
History
During the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, the Army was part of the People's Volunteer Army
People's Volunteer Army
The Chinese People's Volunteer Army was the armed forces deployed by the People's Republic of China during the Korean War. Although all units in the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army belonged to the People's Liberation Army , the People's Volunteer Army was separately constituted in order to...
(Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) or Chinese Communist Forces (CCF)) XIII Army Group. It was composed of the 124th
124th Division (People's Republic of China)
The 124th Division was a division deployed by the People's Republic of China. During the Korean War, it was the first Chinese unit to cross the Yalu River.-History:...
, 125th
125th Division (People's Republic of China)
The 125th Division was a division deployed by the People's Republic of China.-History:The 125th Division was a military formation of the People's Volunteer Army during the Korean War with a standard strength of approximately 10,000 men...
, and 126th
126th Division (People's Republic of China)
The 126th Division was a division deployed by the People's Republic of China.-History:The 126th Division was a military formation deployed by the People's Republic of China as part of the People's Volunteer Army during the Korean War. It had a standard strength of approximately 10,000 men...
Divisions.
During the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, the 42nd Army was commanded by Lieutenant General Wu Ruilin.
Major CPV forces did not enter Korea until the night of Oct. 16, 1950, when the 124th Division
124th Division (People's Republic of China)
The 124th Division was a division deployed by the People's Republic of China. During the Korean War, it was the first Chinese unit to cross the Yalu River.-History:...
, of the 42nd Army of the XIIIth Army Group crossed the Yalu River
Yalu River
The Yalu River or the Amnok River is a river on the border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China....
opposite Manp'ojin. 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.
The 42nd Army and the 38th Army
38th Army (People's Republic of China)
The 38th Mechanized Group Army is a military formation of China's People's Liberation Army and one of three active group armies belonging to the Beijing Military Region...
were pouring through the broken South Korean lines to Eighth Army’s east and threatening to envelop the entire force.
The west flank units of this army, elements of the 125th Division, overlapped into the Eighth Army zone and apparently constituted the enemy force that dispersed the ROK 7th Regiment
7th Infantry Regiment (South Korea)
-History:The 7th Infantry Regiment is a military formation of the 6th Division of the Republic of Korea Army. It was the first unit of the United Nations Command to reach the Yalu River, and the only unit operating under Eighth Army command to do so during the war. The 7th Infantry Regiment was...
below Ch'osan at the end of October 1950.
In October 1952 the 46th Army replaced the 42nd Army and they were rotated back to China.