The 8th Tank Division () was formed on September 26, 1967 from Factory No.953, 238th Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment from
33rd Army Division, 281st Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment from
76th Army Division and 330th Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment from
200th Army Division.
As of August 19, 1969, the division was composed of:
*29th Tank Regiment (former 281st Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment);
*30th Tank Regiment (former 238th Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment);
*31st Tank Regiment (former 330th Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment).
In the 1970s the division maintained as a ''reduced tank division'', which consisted of 3 under-equipped tank regiments.
In 1975 31st Tank regiment was fully equipped with 80
Type 59 tank
The Type 59 (; industrial designation: WZ-120) main battle tank is a Chinese-produced version of the Soviet T-54A tank, an early model of the ubiquitous T-54/55 series. The first vehicles were produced in 1958 and it was accepted into service ...
tanks.
In December 1982 the division was put under command of
46th Army Corps, and an Armored Infantry Regiment was formed and attached to the division.
In April 1983 an Artillery Regiment was formed and attached to the division.
In 1985 the division was transferred to
67th Army after 46th Army Corps' disbandment. In the late 1980s the division maintained as an ''army tank division'', and from 1986 it became the only unit equipped with
Type 79 main battle tanks.
By then the division was composed of:
*29th Tank Regiment;
*30th Tank Regiment;
*31st Tank Regiment;
*Armored Infantry Regiment;
*Artillery Regiment.
In 1998 the division was transferred to
26th Army after 67th Army's disbandment and renamed the 8th Armored Division (). The Armored Infantry Regiment was disbanded and absorbed into tank regiments which became armored regiments.
By then the division was composed of:
*29th Armored Regiment;
*30th Armored Regiment;
*31st Armored Regiment;
*Artillery Regiment
In late 2011 the division was split into two: the division itself became the 8th Armored Brigade (), while half of its battalions formed
200th Mechanized Infantry Brigade.
In 2017 the brigade was reorganized as the 8th Heavy Combined Arms Brigade () and transferred to the
76th Group Army
The 76th Group Army (), formerly the 21st Group Army, is a military formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Forces (PLAGF). The 76th Group Army is one of twelve total group armies of the PLAGF, the largest echelon of ground force ...
as one of its six combined arms brigades.
References
*坦克第8师历史，http://www.360doc.com/content/14/0825/22/12113693_404613610.shtml
{{DEFAULTSORT:8th Armoured Brigade (People's Republic Of China)
Armoured brigades of the People's Liberation Army
Military units and formations established in 1967