36th Division | |
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Active | 1932–1948 |
Country | Republic of China |
Branch | National Revolutionary Army |
Type | Cavalry (later Infantry) |
Size | 15,000 |
Garrison/HQ | Xinjiang, later Yunnan |
Engagements |
Xinjiang War Sino-Japanese War 1937–45 |
Commanders | |
Ceremonial chief | Ma Zhongying, Ma Hushan |
Notable commanders |
Ma Zhongying, Ma Hushan, Ma Zhancang, Ma Fuyuan. Post reorganisation: Li Chih-peng |
36th Division | |||||||
Traditional Chinese | 第36師 | ||||||
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Simplified Chinese | 第36师 | ||||||
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Transcriptions | |
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Standard Mandarin | |
Hanyu Pinyin | Dì 36 Shī |
Xinjiang War
Sino-Japanese War 1937–45
The 36th Division was a cavalry division in the National Revolutionary Army. It was created in 1932 by the Kuomintang for General Ma Zhongying, who was also its first commander. It was made almost entirely out of Hui Muslim troops, all of its officers were Hui, with a few thousand Uighurs forced conscripts in the rank and file. It was commonly referred to as the "KMT 36th Division", or "Tungan 36th Division".
General Ma Zhongying, a Muslim who had trained under Chiang Kai-shek at Whampoa Military Academy in Nanjing in 1929 was the 36th Division Chief.
Kamal Kaya Efendi, a Turk and a former Ottoman military officer was chief-of-staff to Ma Zhongying. The 1st Brigade was commanded by General Ma Ju-lung. The 2nd Brigade was commanded by General Ma Sheng-kuei.
Cavalry regiments were divided into 2,000 men each, by horse color, black, brown, or white. Infantry then followed cavalry.
Su Chin-shou was General Ma Zhancang's chief of staff.Pai Tzu-li was another commander in the 36th division.
An unnamed 36th division general was encountered by Peter Fleming.
Ma Hushan was original Deputy Divisional Commander, then promoted to Chief of the 36th division.
Primary equipment consisted of Dadao swords, bolt-action Lee–Enfield rifles, captured Soviet rifles, machine guns, and light cannons.
Soviet rifles marked with 1930 dates were seized by Chinese Muslim soldiers from Russians during the Soviet Invasion of Xinjiang as war booty.