Republic of China Marine Corps

Republic of China Marine Corps
Republic of China Marine Corps
Chinese: 中華民國海軍陸戰隊; Zhōnghuá Mínguó Hǎijūnlùzhàndùi (Mandarin); Chûng-fà Mìn-koet Hói-kiûn-liu̍k-chan-chhui (Hakka)
	Emblem of the Republic of China Marine Corps with the map of ROC claimed lands of mainland China, Outer Mongolia and Tibet.
Founded	December 1914; 109 years ago
Country	Republic of China
Type	Combined arms; Marine;
Role	Amphibious warfare; Expeditionary warfare;
Size	10,000 active personnel
Part of	Republic of China Navy (since 1924)
Headquarters	Zuoying, Kaohsiung, Republic of China (Taiwan)
Motto(s)	永遠忠誠; (Semper Fidelis)
Engagements	Northern Expedition; Sino-Soviet conflict (1929); Second Sino-Japanese War; World War II Pacific War; ; Cold War Chinese Civil War; Vietnam War; ; War on Terror;
Commanders
Commandant of the Republic of China Marine Corps	Lieutenant-General Wang Jui-lin
Insignia
Flag

The Republic of China Marine Corps (ROCMC; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó Hǎijūnlùzhàndùi), also known colloquially as the Taiwan Marine Corps,^{[citation needed]} is the amphibious arm of the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) responsible for amphibious combat, counter-landing and reinforcement of the areas under the jurisdiction of the Republic of China (ROC), including the island of Taiwan, Kinmen, and the Matsu Islands, and defense of ROCN facilities, also functioning as a rapid reaction force and a strategic reserve capable of amphibious assaults.^[1]

Established in 1914 on Mainland China, the ROCMC is considered an elite force within the ROC Armed Forces and is well known^{[by whom?]} for its "Road to Heaven" stage in its 10-week amphibious training program.^[2]^[3] The ROC Marine Corps' official motto is (pinyin: Yǒngyuǎn zhōngchéng), the Chinese translation of "Semper Fidelis". The ROC Marines trains with the USMC though these are generally classified, unofficial, or with trainees officially considered by either side as "observers."^[4]^[5]^[6]

Organization

The Marine Corps Command (海軍陸戰隊指揮部) is subordinate to the Navy GHQ, the General Staff, the Minister of Defense, and the ROC President.

Current organization

Marine Corps Command
Corps HQ Battalion (隊部營)(November 1, 2013, it was cut and reorganized to the Combat Support Group (戰鬥支援大隊))
- Battalion HQ company (隊部連)(November 1, 2013, it was cut and reorganized to the Combat Support Group Support Company (戰鬥支援大隊支援中隊))
- Health company (衛生連)
- honor guard company (儀隊連)
- Security Guard company (警衛連)
- Shooting training team (射訓隊)
- Logistics company (輜汽連)
- 272nd Company of the Marine Corps Military Police (陸戰憲兵第二七二連)
- Military band (軍樂隊)
Amphibious Armor Group (登陸戰車大隊)
- 4 Amphibious Transport Squadrons (運輸中隊), 24+ tracks per squadron. 1st (AAV-7), 2nd (AAV-7), 3rd (LVT-5), 4th (LVT-5).
- 2 Amphibious Artillery Squadrons (砲兵中隊), mortars, 1st (LVT-5) and 2nd (LVT-5).
Amphibious Reconnaissance and Patrol Unit (海軍陸戰隊兩棲偵搜大隊): nicknamed "Frogmen" and regarded as the Taiwanese military counterpart to the U.S. Navy SEALs, over half of the 600 troops of this unit are aboriginal Taiwanese.
- 3 Reconnaissance Company (偵搜中隊)
- 1 Special Service Company (特勤中隊) (中華民國海軍陸戰隊特勤隊)
- 1 Underwater Demolition Company (爆破中隊)
- 1 Support Company (支援中隊)
Combat Support Group (戰鬥支援大隊), combined formerly the Beach Logistics Group and the Communications, Information, Electronic Warfare Group, and Corps HQ Battalion^[7]
- Support Squadron (支援中隊), combined formerly the battalion HQ company (隊部連)
Wuchiu Garrison Command (烏坵守備大隊)
Armed Force Joint Operation Training Base (三軍聯合作戰訓練基地)
Marine Corps Command
- 66th Marine Brigade 'Vanguard' (陸戰六六旅「先鋒部隊」), Taipei area, receiving M60A3TTS to replace M41 tanks^[8]
- 77th Marine Brigade 'Iron Guards' (陸戰七七旅「鐵衛部隊」), Garrison brigade, CCK and other area all over Taiwan
- 99th Marine Brigade 'Iron Force' (陸戰九九旅「鐵軍部隊」), Kaohsiung

History

President Tsai Ing-wen reviews a Marine Corps battalion in 2020

The ROC Marine Corps were formed from the former Navy Sentry Corps in December 1914.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the ROC marines saw little in amphibious warfare for the Japanese dominated the seas & thus saw combat in the same form as the regular infantry.

Likewise, during the civil war, the ROC marines were either absorbed as regular infantry units, or played as supporting role. However, in 1947, the ROC Marine Corps was reconstituted & saw action Mawei, Fujian.^[9]

The Marine Corps used to be 2 divisions, 66th and 99th divisions, in size, when its doctrine focused on retaking mainland China. Since its transition to a defensive posture, the ROCMC has been downsized towards a focus as a small rapid reaction force, a strategic reserve, and has learned skills compatible with guerrilla warfare operations. The Marine Corps is by design trained and equipped for transport by the ROC Navy to conduct amphibious assaults to defend Taiwan's outlying islands and Taiwan's coasts.

In 2004, the ROCMC redeployed a brigade near the Taipei area to defend against a possible PRC decapitation strike.

Since its formation the ROC Marine Corps has received training from the United States Marine Corps, from 1979 to 2020 that training was conducted secretly however in 2020 the annual month long training exercise held with trainers from the USMC's Marine Raider Regiment was conducted publicly.^[10]

Equipment

Type	Make/Model	Origin	Ref
Tanks	M60A3 TTS	United States	^[11]^[12]
Tanks	M41 Walker Bulldog	United States
Armored fighting vehicles	AAV-P7A1 amphibious assault vehicles	United States
Armored fighting vehicles	LVPT5A1 amphibious assault vehicles	United States
Armored fighting vehicles	CM-25 AFV(CM-21 with 1 x TOW launcher)	Republic of China
Armoured fighting landing vehicle	LVT-5 (LVTH-6, LVTE-1, LVTR-1, LVTC-1)	United States
Armoured fighting vehicles	CM-24	Republic of China	modified CM-21 ammo carrier
Armoured vehicle	M998	United States
Artillery	M101 howitzer	United States
Artillery	M109 howitzer	United States
Anti-Tank	BGM-71 TOW-2A/B	United States
Anti-Tank	MK-153 SMAW	United States
Anti-Tank	FGM-148 Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missile	United States	^[13]
Anti-Tank	M40A1 recoilless rifle	United States
Anti-Tank	Kestrel (rocket launcher)	Republic of China	^[14]
SAM	Stinger DMS(Dual Mount Stinger)	United States	^[15]
SAM	MIM-72/M48 Chaparral locally upgraded FLIR by CSIST	United States	^[15]
Assault Rifle	T65K2 assault rifle	Republic of China
Assault Rifle	T91 combat rifle	Republic of China
Squad Automatic Weapon	T75 squad machine gun	Republic of China
Sniper Rifle	SSG-2000	Switzerland
Sniper Rifle	T93	Republic of China
Automated grenade launcher	Mk 19 grenade launcher	United States
Autocannon	T-75 cannon 20mm	Republic of China
ASW and utility helicopter	McDonnell Douglas MD 500 Defender	United States
Tactical drone	NCSIST Cardinal II	Republic of China
Fast assault boat	M109	Republic of China	^[16]

Equipment gallery

ROCMC Humvee Carried T-75M 20mm Cannon Display at Keelung Naval Pier
ROCMC M60A3 TTS Display at Navy Fleet Command Ground
BGM-71 TOW and M2 Machine Gun on ROCMC CM-25
M109A2-155
ROCMC M8 Motor Boat catching divers in sea
ROCMC Special Forces Team standing behind 66th Brigade Recruitment Booth
ROC Marine Corps Special Service Company Operator with SIG MPX

Ranks

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General/flag officers										Field/senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Republic of China Marine Corps^[17] v t e
Republic of China Marine Corps^[17] v t e			二級上將 Jī-kip siōng-chiòng		中將 Tiong-chiòng		少將 Siáu-chiòng				上校 Siōng-hāu		中校 Tiong-hāu		少校 Siáu-hāu		上尉 Siōng-ùi		中尉 Tiong-ùi			少尉 Siáu-ùi			軍校生 Jūnxiào shēng

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Republic of China Marine Corps^[17] v t e
Republic of China Marine Corps^[17] v t e	一等士官長 Yīděng shìguānzhǎng						二等士官長 Èrděng shìguānzhǎng		三等士官長 Sānděng shìguānzhǎng		上士 Shàngshì						中士 Zhōngshì						下士 Xiàshì				上等兵 Shàngděngbīng		一等兵 Yīděngbīng						二等兵 Èrděngbīng

Gallery

Seven ROCMC M8 motor boats circled around Exercise Water
Marines at Zuoying naval pier
ROC Marine Corps personnel
ROC Marine Corps frogmen
Chikwondo, 2009

References

^ "Bolstering Taiwan's Last Line of Defense".
^ "ROC Military: Taiwan's Top Tier". 2014-10-21.
^ "The 'Road to Heaven,' one of Taiwan's most brutal military training events". Business Insider.
^ "Pasadena Salutes Returning Marine Corps Battalion with City Hall Ceremony". PasadenaNow.com.
^ "Taiwan marines trained with US forces in 2017". 12 April 2018.
^ "Reports alleging US Marines conduct training". 14 May 2019.
^ "ROCMC's new Combat Support Group". Archived from the original on 2011-01-12. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
^ "ROCMC's 66th Brigade Receiving New Tanks". Archived from the original on 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
^ Forever loyal:The ROC Marine Corps in the Cold War era
^ Everington, Keoni (9 November 2020). "US Marines officially training in Taiwan for 1st time since 1979". www.taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
^ "ROCMC M41 tanks". Archived from the original on 2010-12-04. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
^ "ROCMC's 66th Brigade Receiving New Tanks". Archived from the original on 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
^ "ROCMC open base 2010". Archived from the original on 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2010-10-09.
^ "Kestrel Rocket". www.ncsist.org.tw. NCSIST. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
^ ^a ^b Chen, Kelvin (6 July 2021). "Taiwan Marines conduct air defense drill". www.taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
^ Strong, Matthew (27 January 2021). "Taiwan's Marines unveil locally developed M109 assault boat". www.taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Lùhǎikōng jūnfú zhì tiáolì fù tú" 陸海空軍服制條例附圖 [Drawings of the Uniform Regulations of the Army, Navy and Air Force] (PDF). Gazette of the Presidential Palace (6769): 65–67. 7 November 1996. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2022.

External links

[1] "Bolstering Taiwan's Last Line of Defense".

[2] "ROC Military: Taiwan's Top Tier". 2014-10-21.

[3] "The 'Road to Heaven,' one of Taiwan's most brutal military training events". Business Insider.

[4] "Pasadena Salutes Returning Marine Corps Battalion with City Hall Ceremony". PasadenaNow.com.

[5] "Taiwan marines trained with US forces in 2017". 12 April 2018.

[6] "Reports alleging US Marines conduct training". 14 May 2019.

[7] "ROCMC's new Combat Support Group". Archived from the original on 2011-01-12. Retrieved 2010-11-09.

[8] "ROCMC's 66th Brigade Receiving New Tanks". Archived from the original on 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2010-11-23.

[9] Forever loyal:The ROC Marine Corps in the Cold War era

[10] Everington, Keoni (9 November 2020). "US Marines officially training in Taiwan for 1st time since 1979". www.taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 9 November 2020.

[11] "ROCMC M41 tanks". Archived from the original on 2010-12-04. Retrieved 2010-11-09.

[12] "ROCMC's 66th Brigade Receiving New Tanks". Archived from the original on 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2010-11-23.

[13] "ROCMC open base 2010". Archived from the original on 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2010-10-09.

[14] "Kestrel Rocket". www.ncsist.org.tw. NCSIST. Retrieved 1 July 2019.

[Air_defense_drills_2021-15] Chen, Kelvin (6 July 2021). "Taiwan Marines conduct air defense drill". www.taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 6 July 2021.

[16] Strong, Matthew (27 January 2021). "Taiwan's Marines unveil locally developed M109 assault boat". www.taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 27 January 2021.

[Taiwan-17] "Lùhǎikōng jūnfú zhì tiáolì fù tú" 陸海空軍服制條例附圖 [Drawings of the Uniform Regulations of the Army, Navy and Air Force] (PDF). Gazette of the Presidential Palace (6769): 65–67. 7 November 1996. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2022.

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