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Mongolian People's Army

This article is about the history of the armed forces of Mongolian People's Republic for the 1920s, 1930s and WWII periods. For the current armed forces of Mongolia, see Mongolian Armed Forces.

The Mongolian People's Army (Mongolian: Монголын Ардын Арми), also known as the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army (Mongolian: Монгол Ардын Хувьсгалт Цэрэг) or the Mongolian Red Army (Mongolian: Монгол Улаан армийн), was an institution of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party constituting as the armed forces of the Mongolian People's Republic. It was established on 18 March 1921 as a secondary army under Soviet Red Army command during the 1920s and during World War II. In 1992, the army's structure changed and then reorganized and renamed as the Mongolian Armed Forces.

Mongolian People's Army
Монголын Ардын Арми
Emblem of Mongolian People's Army
FoundedMarch 1921
DisbandedFebruary 1992
Service branchesGround Force
Air Force
HeadquartersUlaanbaatar
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief Damdin Sükhbaatar (1921–1923)
Jambyn Batmönkh (1984–1990)
Minister of Defence Damdin Sükhbaatar (1921–1923)
Shagalyn Jadambaa (1990)
Chief of General Staff General Shagalyn Jadambaa (1990)
Personnel
Military age18
ConscriptionYes
Reaching military
age annually		(1988)
Reserve personnel15,000
Industry
Foreign suppliers Soviet Union
 Poland
 East Germany
 Vietnam
 Democratic People's Republic of Korea
 Cuba
 Bulgaria
 China
Related articles
HistorySoviet–Japanese border conflicts

World War II

Post–war

RanksMilitary ranks of the Mongolian People's Republic

History

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Sükhbaatar is one of the founders of People's Army

Creation of the army

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One of the first actions of the new Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party authorities was the creation of a native communist army in 1921 under the leadership of adept cavalry commander Damdin Sükhbaatar in order to fight against Russian troops from the White movement and Chinese forces. The decision to create an army was made on 9 February 1921.[1]

On 13 March 1921, four cavalry regiments were formed from partisan detachments.[2] The MPRA was aided by the Red Army of the Russian SFSR, which helped to secure the Mongolian People's Republic and remained in its territory until at least 1925. A Military Council was formed soon after among the military leadership,[3] while the General Staff was led by Soviet specialists.[4]

In September 1923,[5] on the outskirts of Urga, the first cavalry school and an artillery school were opened, and a year later, the publication of the army newspaper began.[6] On October 16, 1925, Mongolia adopted a law on universal conscription, and in 1926, the creation of temporary detachments of the people's militia began.[7]

1930s conflicts and WWII

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Main articles: Participants in World War II § Mongolia, and Mongolia in World War II

Initially during the native revolts of the early 1930s and the Japanese border probes beginning in the mid-1930s, Soviet Red Army troops in Mongolia amounted to little more than instructors for the native army and as guards for diplomatic and trading installations. Domestically, it took part in the suppression of the 1932 armed uprising. It also involved in many border conflicts against Manchukuo and the Kwantung Army (one of the largest parts of the Imperial Japanese Army) and the Chinese National Revolutionary Army. The Imperial Japanese Army recorded 152 minor incidents on the border of Manchuria between 1932 and 1934. The number of incidents increased to over 150 per year in 1935 and 1936, and the scale of incidents became larger.

In January 1935, the first armed battle, Halhamiao incident (哈爾哈廟事件, Haruhabyō jiken) occurred on the border between Mongolia and Manchukuo.[8] Scores of Mongolian cavalry units engaged with a Manchukuo army patrol unit near the Buddhist temple of Halhamiao. The Manchukuo Army incurred slight casualties, including a Japanese military advisor.

Between December 1935 and March 1936, the Orahodoga incident (オラホドガ事件, Orahodoga jiken)(ja) and the Tauran incident (タウラン事件, Tauran jiken) (ja) occurred. In these battles, both the Japanese and Mongolian Armies use a small number of armoured fighting vehicles and military aircraft.

In the 1939 Battles of Khalkhin Gol (or Nomonhan) heavily armed Red Army forces under Georgy Zhukov assisted by Mongolian troops under Khorloogiin Choibalsan decisively defeated Imperial Japanese Army forces under Michitarō Komatsubara. During a meeting with Joseph Stalin in Moscow in early 1944, Choibalsan requested military assistance to the MPRA for border protection.[9] Units of Mongolian People's Army were also supported and allied with the Soviet Red Army on the western flank of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in 1945. As part of the Cavalry mechanized group of the Transbaikal Front under General Issa Pliyev, Mongolian troops under General D. Lhagwasuren comprised the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Cavalry Divisions, the 7th Motorized Armored Brigade, the 3rd Tank Regiment, and the 3rd Artillery Regiment.[10]

Stalinist repressions against Mongolian People's Army

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Main article: Stalinist repressions in Mongolia

During the 18 months of violence, Monks who were not executed were forcibly conscripted into the MPA.[11] At the same time, 187 persons from the military leadership were killed on the orders of Marshal Choibalsan.[12] The army stayed linked to Soviet Red Army intelligence groups and the NKVD.

Cold war era

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Main articles: Sino-Soviet split and Soviet Forces in Mongolia

During the Pei-ta-shan Incident, elite Qinghai Chinese Muslim cavalry were sent by the Chinese Kuomintang to destroy the Mongols and the Russians positions in 1947.[13] The military of Mongolia's purpose was national defense, protection of local communist establishments, and collaboration with Soviet forces in future military actions against exterior enemies, up until the 1990 Democratic Revolution in Mongolia. In February 1957, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the MPRP passed a resolution on the establishment of a voluntary association to assist the People's Army.[14] In 1961, the Defense and Labor Association was established by the Council of Ministers of the People's Republic of Mongolia.[14] The first civil defense in the country was established in 1964 as the 122nd Civil Defense Battalion of the MPA.[15] Moreover, all Mongolian citizens were obliged to participate in civil defense training organized by the Civil Defense Office of the Ministry of Defense.[16]

In 1971–72, Mongolian forces were listed as two infantry divisions; 40 T-34 and 100 T-54/55 tanks; 10 SU-100 tank destroyers, BTRs, and Air Force of 1,000 men with no combat aircraft. The Air Force has transports, trainers, and 10 Mil Mi-1 and Mil Mi-4 helicopters.[17][18]

Education

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A MPRA soldier on a 1932 Mongolian stamp.

Political indoctrination

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The central Political Administration Unit was established in the army in 1921 to supervise the work of political commissars (Politruk) and party cells in all army units and to provide a political link with the Central Committee of the MPRP in the army. The unit served to raise morale and to prevent enemy political propaganda. Up to one third of army units were members of the party and others were in the Mongolian Revolutionary Youth League.

The Red Mongol Army received sixty percent of the government budget in early years and it was expanded from 2,560 men in 1923 to 4,000 in 1924 and to 7,000 in 1927. The native armed forces stayed linked to Soviet Red Army intelligence groups and NKVD, Mongolian secret police, and Buryat Mongol Comintern agents acted as administrators and represented the real power in the country albeit under direct Soviet guidance.

Training

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By 1926 the government planned to train 10,000 conscripts annually and to increase the training period to six months. Chinese intelligence reports in 1927 indicated that between 40,000 and 50,000 reservists could be mustered at short notice. In 1929 a general mobilization was called to test the training and reserve system. The expected turnout was to have been 30,000 troops but only 2,000 men presented. This failure initiated serious reforms in recruiting and training systems.

Organization

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Strength

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In 1921–1927, the land forces, almost exclusively horsemen, numbered about 17,000 mounted troops and boasted more than 200 heavy machine guns, 50 mountain howitzers, 30 field guns, seven armored cars, and a maximum of up to 20 light tanks.

Basic units and motorization

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The basic unit was the 2,000-man cavalry regiment consisting of three squadrons. Each 600-plus-man squadron was divided into five companies: a machine gun company, and an engineer unit. Cavalry regiments were organized into larger units--brigades or divisions—which included artillery and service support units. The chief advantage of this force was mobility over the great distances in Mongolia: small units were able to cover more than 160 km in 24 hours.

 
Mongolian People's Army reenactors in 2006.

Branches

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Special troops of the Ground Forces

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Armoured corps

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Under Soviet support campaign for mechanization, the army formed its first mechanized unit in 1922. Also it was by structure in the ground force half-mechanization cavalry in the other units distributed to light armored vehicles until 1943. It began to process to motorised since 1943. This is a list of Mongolian People's Army tanks and armour during the 1922s-World War II period.

Anti-aircraft forces

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Although little attention was paid to anti-aircraft weaponry in the Mongolian People's Army, a few dozen units of Soviet origin were known to be distributed to light armored outfits.

Mongolian People's Army Air Force

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Roundel of the Mongolian People's Army Air Force

The Mongolian People's Army Aviation drastically improved with Soviet training and vastly ameliorated within a time span of several years. In May 1925, a Junkers F.13 entered service as the first aircraft in Mongolian civil and military-related aviation. In March 1931, the Soviet Union donated three Polikarpov R-1s to the Mongolian People's Army, with Mongolia further purchasing three R-1s.[19] In 1932, an uprising broke out against Collectivization, which saw both Soviet and Mongolian-operated R-1s taking part in actions against the rebellion. The aircraft carried out reconnaissance, leaflet dropping, and bombing missions.[20] Chinese intelligence reports that in 1945 the Mongolian People's Air Force had been with a three-fighter and three-bomber aviation-regiment, and one flight training school and greater air squadrons. It was reported that headquartered in the Mukden Manchukuo spy-section in October 1944 air force whole units had been 180 aircraft and 1231 airmen. The Mongolian People's Army Aviation demonstrated its full potential during the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, which was its largest engagement. Apart from intercepting intruding aircraft, People's Aviation was used heavily to repress domestic rebel movements.

The Mongolian People's Air Force has operated a variety of aircraft types.

Army ranks and uniform

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Main article: Military ranks of the Mongolian People's Republic
 
Rank Insignia of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army until 1944
  • Conscript soldiers
    • Private
    • Lance Corporal
    • Corporal
    • Senior Corporal
  • NCO's
    • Junior Sergeant
    • Sergeant
    • Senior Sergeant
    • Training Sergeant
    • Lead Sergeant
  • Officers
    • 2nd Lieutenant
    • 1st Lieutenant
    • Captain
    • Major
    • Lieutenant Colonel
    • Colonel
    • Brigadier General
    • Major General
    • Lieutenant General
    • General

On 28 April 1944, the Council of Ministers promoted the 11 officers to the rank of general, a rank that was never crossed before up until then. This date has been remembered as “Mongolian Generals' Day”.[21] The highest military ranks in the MPA army general, but in 2006 the Law on the Legal Status of Military Servicemen was amended to make it more developed to a Western model.[21]

 
A horseman with MPA-style uniform performs during the opening ceremony for exercise Khaan Quest 2013 at the Five Hills Training Area in Mongolia 3 Aug. 2013

Because establishment of the Armed Forces was based on a Soviet military system in the 1920s, the Mongolian People's Army used similar uniforms with the Red Army, only with Mongolian distinctions. Until 1924, People's Army personnel wore traditional deel, which had their respective shoulder insignias. In the mid-1930s, the army adopted Soviet Gymnasterka and developed its true rank and distinction system. All personnel were distinct by their sleeve and collar insignias from the general population when the gymnastyorka was rather popular. After the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, slight modifications were made. In 1944 all uniforms and insignia were significantly changed to include shoulder insignia and camouflage cloaks, similar to Soviet uniform modifications but on olive green.

From the 1960s, the equipment and uniforms of the Mongolian People's Army were modernized.[citation needed] As before, the Mongolian People's Army (a Soviet ally) was similar to the Soviet Armed Forces in appearance and structure.

Equipment

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Ground Forces (1950–1990)

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Equipment Origin Versions Number Notes
Main Battle Tank/Medium Tank
SU-100   Soviet Union Self-propelled gun 10[22]
T-34/85 Medium Tank 40[22]
T-54 250[22]
T-55 250[22]
T-62 Main Battle Tank 100[22]
Infantry Fighting Vehicle/Armored Personnel Carrier
BMP-1   Soviet Union Infantry Fighting Vehicle 400[22]
BTR-40 Wheeled armoured personnel carrier 200[22]
BTR-60 50[22]
BTR-152
BRDM-1 Armored Personnel Carrier 150[22]
BRDM-2 Armored Personnel Carrier 120[22]
Multiple rocket launcher
BM-21 Grad   Soviet Union 122 mm Multiple rocket launcher 130[22]
Towed artillery
85 mm divisional gun D-44   Soviet Union 85 mm divisional gun unknown number
122 mm gun M1931/37 (A-19) 122 mm towed gun 20[22]
152 mm howitzer M1943 (D-1) 152 mm field gun unknown number
122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30) 122 mm howitzer 50[22]
122 mm howitzer M1938 (M-30) 100[22]
130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46) 130 mm towed field gun unknown number
152 mm howitzer-gun M1937 (ML-20) 152 mm howitzer gun
Mortar
BM-37   Soviet Union 82 mm calibre mortar unknown number
PM-43 120 mm calibre smoothbore mortar
M-160 160 mm Divisional mortar
Anti-tank gun
SPG-9   Soviet Union 73 mm anti-tank gun unknown number
85 mm antitank gun D-48 85 mm anti-tank gun
100 mm field gun M1944 (BS-3) 100 mm field gun 25[22]
T-12 antitank gun 100 mm anti-tank gun 25[22]

Air Force (1950–1990)

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Name Origin Type Versions In service Notes
Fighter aircraft
Polikarpov I-15   Soviet Union Fighter I-15bis 1+[23] There may have been two aircraft left.
Polikarpov I-16 I-16Type30 1+[23] It is possible that there were two aircraft left.
Yak-9 Yak-9P 34[23] It remained in service until the MiG-15 was deployed.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 Fagot MiG-15bis 48[23] It was introduced to replace existing reciprocating fighters, including the trainer type described below.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 Fresco MiG-17F 36[23] It was deployed as the first aircraft equipped with an afterburner.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Fishbed MiG-21PFM/MF PFM:30/MF:12[22][23] It was the last fighter jet in service at the time.
Su-27 Flanker   Soviet Union air superiority fighter Su-27S 4
Bomber
Polikarpov R-Z   Soviet Union bomber RZ 1 Mainly survivors of aircraft used against Japan in World War II.
Yakovlev UT-2   Soviet Union bomber UT-2MV 3 It is a survival of the aircraft used in the battle against Japan, and it is possible that a light bomber version was introduced to supplement the bomber force.
Attack aircraft
Ilyushin Il-2 Bark   Soviet Union Shturmovik Il-2M3 71 Received in 1945. It remained in operation until 1954.
Polikarpov Po-2 Mule   Soviet Union pesticide sprayer Po-2A 20[23]

It is possible that it was primarily used as an attack aircraft, carrying bombs. Before 1944, it was called U-2A.

Transport aircraft
Boeing 727   United States of America Narrow-body Type Boeing 727-200 2
Tupolev Tu-104 Camel   Soviet Union Transport aircraft Tu-104 2[22]
Tupolev Tu-154 Careless Tu-154M 1
Yakovlev Yak-6 Frank Yak-6M 2
Ilyushin Il-12 Coach Il-12D 4 It was used to transport troops and weapons.
Ilyushin Il-14 Crate Il-14T 6 It was used to transport troops and weapons.
Antonov An-2 Colt An-2 30[23]
Antonov An-12 Cub An-12 12
Antonov An-14 Clod An-14A 2
Antonov An-24 Coke An-24B/RV B:4 RV:20
Antonov An-26 Curl An-26 4
Harbin Y-12   China utility aircraft Y-12 5[23]
PZL-104 Wilga   Poland Wilga-2 3[23]
Training aircraft
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 Fagot   Soviet Union Trainer aircraft MiG-15UTI 1[22]
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Fishbed MiG-21US unknown number[22]
Yakovlev Yak-9 Frank Yak-9UV 9
Yakovlev Yak-11 Moose Yak-11 10[22]
Yakovlev Yak-12 Creek Yak-12M 2
Yakovlev Yak-18 Max Yak-18 10[22]
Attack Helicopter
Mil Mi-24 Hind   Soviet Union Attack helicopter Mi-24D/V D:1 V:11[22] Ground support/Anti tank
Transport Helicopter
Mil Mi-1 Hare   Soviet Union Light helicopter Mi-1 5[22] Transport
Mil Mi-2 Hoplite Mi-2 1[22]
Mil Mi-4 Hound Mi-4A 5[22]
Mil Mi-8 Hip Mi-8T/MT 10[22]
Kamov Ka-26 Hoodlum Light utility Ka-26 unknown number[22]
SAM
S-75 Dvina   Soviet Union Strategic SAM system S-75 Dvina 1[22] 24 missiles[22]
S-200 Angara/Vega/Dubna S-200 unknown number[24]
9K31 Strela-1 Vehicle-mounted SAM system 9K31 Strela-1
Strela-2 Man portable SAM launcher Strela-2 1250[22]
Air Defence Artillery
ZPU-4   Soviet Union Anti-aircraft machine gun ZPU-4 unknown number
ZU-23-2 Anti-Aircraft Twin Autocannon ZU-23-2
ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun ZSU-23-4
S-60 Autocannon 57 mm S-60
61-K Air defense gun 37 mm M1939

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Пятьдесят героических лет // «Советский воин», № 5 (1169), март 1971. стр. 15–16
  2. ^ История Монгольской Народной Республики. / редколл., гл. ред. А. П. Окладников, Ш. Бира. 3-е изд., пер. и доп. М., «Наука», издательство восточной литературы, 1983. стр. 320
  3. ^ "Бүх цэргийн зөвлөл". mongoltoli.mn. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  4. ^ Ж. Жалсапова Начальный этап формирования регулярной армии в Монголии (1921—1922 гг.)
  5. ^ Н. С. Соркин. В начале пути (записки инструктора монгольской народной армии). М., «Наука», главная редакция восточной литературы, 1970. стр. 24–37
  6. ^ История Монгольской Народной Республики. / редколл., гл. ред. А. П. Окладников, Ш. Бира. 3-е изд., пер. и доп. М., «Наука», издательство восточной литературы, 1983. стр. 414
  7. ^ История Монгольской Народной Республики. / редколл., гл. ред. А. П. Окладников, Ш. Бира. 3-е изд., пер. и доп. М., «Наука», издательство восточной литературы, 1983. стр. 351
  8. ^ Charles Otterstedt, Kwantung Army and the Nomonhan Incident: Its Impact on National security
  9. ^ "Wilson Center Digital Archive".
  10. ^ "Soviet-Mongolian Cavalry-Mechanized Group, Trans-Baikal Front, Far East Command, 09.08.45".
  11. ^ Palmer, James (2008). The Bloody White Baron. London: Faber and Faber. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-571-23023-5.
  12. ^ Baabar 1999, p. 362
  13. ^ Andrew D. W. Forbes (1986). Warlords and Muslims in Chinese Central Asia: a political history of Republican Sinkiang 1911–1949. Cambridge, England: CUP Archive. p. 214. ISBN 0-521-25514-7. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  14. ^ a b "БАТЛАН ХАМГААЛАХ, ЗЭВСЭГТ ХҮЧИН ТҮҮХИЙН ХУУДАСНАА..." 21 February 2014.
  15. ^ "Химийн ажиллагааны салбар". www.uab.nema.gov.mn. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  16. ^ "Mongolia". War Resisters' International. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  17. ^ IISS, "The Military Balance 1971–72," p.49.
  18. ^ "Military Helicopter Market 1971 pg. 579". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  19. ^ Walg Air Enthusiast November/December 1996, pp. 18–19.
  20. ^ Walg Air Enthusiast November/December 1996, pp. 19–20.
  21. ^ a b "Бхя Монгол Улсад Генерал Цол Бий Болсны 70 Жилийг Тэмдэглэн Өнгөрүүллээ". 29 April 2014.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae "Trade Registers". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "World Air Forces Mongolia Air Force". www.worldairforces.com. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  24. ^ "World Missile Directory". Flight Global. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012.
  • Walg, A.J. "Wings Over the Steppes: Aerial warfare in Mongolia 1930–1945: Part One". Air Enthusiast. No. 66, November/December 1996. pp. 18–23. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Walg, A.J. "Wings Over the Steppes: Aerial warfare in Mongolia 1930–1945: Part Two". Air Enthusiast. No. 67, January–February 1997. pp. 25–23. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Walg, A.J. "Wings Over the Steppes: Aerial warfare in Mongolia 1930–1945: Part Three". Air Enthusiast. No. 68, March–April 1997. pp. 70–73. ISSN 0143-5450.
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