Some common knowledge about chinese uniform

Red Guard

Junior Member
this topic was called up in my another thread. as i didn't want my thread to got locked up, i start a new one here. and please let me say, some of you guys are not cool, come on it's a forum, even though we are talking about serious problems, still, we could make a joke or two. don't be too hard.
anyway.

the problems about chinese uniform were called up in another thread and i am surprising found that many people know so little about chinese military uniform. so i will talk about it here a little bit, i can't cover all the areas, so if anyone has problems, feel free to reply your questions.

chinese communist armed force was offically formed in 1927 august 1st. as 1945, when the civil war broke out again, most of the army still wears the old nationalist uniform. during the civil, slowly as the force gains more land and factories, they started to make their own uniform. the common "liberation army uniform" was out at the time. the main difference is they used the "liberation cap".
After 1949, the first generation uniform was established, as called type 50 uniform. it's bascily just fixing some of the parts of the uniform. 50 uniform established the symble of PLA, the red star with gold rim with a gold chinese charator 8/1, august 1 in the middle. air force with a pair of wings on the sides, and navy with anchor at the back.
in 1955, after years of fighting with both natonalists and the UN forces in korea. a new uniform was established, and ranks were given out to the soldiers. it was main step of the force, as the uniform was a copy from the rest of the socialist nations. the uniform has a great impression from the soviet uniform. the liberation cap was gone, with a replacement of the "pilotka", the wedge cap for common soldiers. this year, the offcial PLA symble was established, as in the middle is the red 81 star, with a blue (dark blue) back colour, on the rim is the gold wheat symblize the peasents and the gear at the middle bottom as the workers. the whole symble is a circle shape. air force with wings on the star int he middle, and navy with an anchor at the star's back in the middle. this symble is used until now.
in 1958, as the great leap is going on in the same year. a bill past as the wedge cap is too "soviet union", same year wedge is replaced by the liberation cap, for both officers and soldiers.
in 1966, as the cultrue revolution started in the same year, type 65 uniform was established ( i am not sure which year type 65 was starting to issue to the troop) As the bill called type 55/58 uniform was "too soviet union" " too different from chinese own uniform" "can't represent the power of people and the lead of chairman mao", all type 55/58 uniform was stopped using and replaced by the famous green uniform with green liberation cap with a red star and two piece of red collar patches.
 
I really enjoy reading the descriptions of each of these uniform types. I'd also love to see some pictures though, can you post any?
 

Red Guard

Junior Member
the essay is too long, so i am writing it as two parts i wish i won't be count as double post.

as type 65 was established in the early years. navy uniformed changed from soviet style navy tunic to the same type uniform from the army and the air force. only the colour changed from green to grey. in 1974, the old soviet navy uniform was used again, as the cap badge was also the same red star, and the shoulder board is used as 2 piece of red hard square board.

after the culture revolution. type 85 uniform was established. the old army red 81 star and another badges were back to the service. and the old type 65 uniform was kept as the combat and training uniform. type 65 and the following uniform was used until type 87 was established.


type 87 was established in 1987. as it was offically widely issued to the force about 1990. type 87 established a large cap badgewith an enlarged old cap badge in the middle and circled with pine leaves (pine is symbolized as long term green, as forever) with "tiananmen" at the bottom middle. this badge is worn on the pik cap of every soldier.
as type 87 was first established, field uniform was issued as green uniform. and later on changed to camo. a plastic small badge is worn on the combat cap. and sometimes a badge is also worn on the cover of the helmet.


as pictures are too big to upload, i wil find photos of particular thing as people request.
 

darth sidious

Banned Idiot
the old green uniform had one advantage over the soviet style uniform. no/little difference bewten officer and common soliders this proved useful in the 79 war aginst vietmame as it confused sniper. but saddly some chinese soliders as well:(
 

Red Guard

Junior Member
i have lots of photos about type 55 uniform, but they are too big to upload, i need to find them online.

here are some photos i've seen today

4_509298.jpg


this photo contained all 3 forces.
the guy in the middle wears in all green is from the army. we could see the red star as the cap badge and two pieces red collar patch. the person on the right in green and blue is from the air force. all air force personnel dress in half army and half navy. it lasted until 1 month ago, as the new 04 uniform issued to the force, the air force colour changed to dark blue. the peronnel in grey is from the navy, this uniform was issued until 74 navy uniform established.


4_509309.jpg


in this photo, taken in culturl revolution. we could see, clearly, these are soldiers, are they have 2 chest packets, as officers would have another 2 on the bottom. they are also baring belt as a standard dressing in both regular and combat situation


4_509429.jpg


this is a photo showing the navy sailors studying chairman mao's words. the star shaped badge on the chest is another feature for type 65. if i am not wrong. all medals were canceled during cultural revolution. all military personnels are given such star shaped mao's button to wear on the left chest. army and air force has another bar with writing of "to serve the people" on it under the mao's botton. and the navy's bar has the writing of "to fight well for the people" on it.


i will post some other badges and patches later on in the thread, please do't count me as double posting, since i am writing such in times. and if people consider this is more likly a historical thread, please transfer to the military historyl part.
 

MIGleader

Banned Idiot
pics dont work. your descriptions are nice, but its kinda hard to visualize it without a pic.

does anyone have a pic of a pla frogmen? ive been hunting em, but no sucess.
 

darth sidious

Banned Idiot
how ANY OF THE MAO STYLE NAVAL UNIFORM are actualy made there was atlest two pic of chinese sailors in army uniform during the battle aginst south vietnam
 

Red Guard

Junior Member
darth sidious said:
how ANY OF THE MAO STYLE NAVAL UNIFORM are actualy made there was atlest two pic of chinese sailors in army uniform during the battle aginst south vietnam


i don't understand what your question is, sorry.............
 
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