PLA 1949

PLA 1949

V.1.0 July 1, 2001

This historical orbat is by DOR, and is excerpted with permission from www.China-Defense.com. For details of commanders and political commissars, kindly visit the website, which has many articles on the PLA. We will publish this orbat in installments.

In 1949, a PLA field army was equivalent to a western army group. Subordinate were armies, corps, and divisions. The PLA followed a logical numbering sequence, with Field Armies from 1 through 5; armies from 1 through 23, and with divisions sequenced to their parent corps - 1^st Corps had the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd Divisions; 2^nd Corps the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th Divisions and so on. The PLA generally kept armies in a Field Army in sequence, for example, 4^th Field Army had the 12^th, 13^th, 14^th, 15^th, 16^th, and 17^th Armies, but at times armies would be shifted between Field Armies. For example, the 18^th Army, part of 5^th Field Army, was with 2^nd Field Army at the time of this orbat.

1^st FIELD ARMY

1^st Army

1^st Corps: 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd Divisions

2^nd Corps: 4^th, 5^th, 6^th Divisions

5^th Corps: 13^th, 14^th, 15^th Divisions

6^th Corps: 16^th, 17^th, 18^th Divisions

2^nd Army

3^rd Corps: 7^th, 8^th, 9^th Divisions

4^th Corps: 10^th, 11^th, 12^th Divisions

7^th Corps: 19^th, 20^th, 21^st Divisions

8^th Corps: 22^nd, 23^rd, 24^th Divisions

22^nd Army

9^th Corps: 25^th, 26^th, 27^th Divisions

1^st Cavalry Division

2^nd FIELD ARMY

3^rd Army

10^th Corps: 28^th, 29^th, 30^th Divisions

11^th Corps: 31^st, 32^nd, 33^rd Divisions

12^th Corps: 34^th, 35^th, 36^th Divisions

4^th Army

13^th Corps: 37^th, 38^th, 39^th Divisions

14^th Corps: 40^th, 41^st, 42^nd Divisions

15^th Corps: 43^rd, 44^th, 45^th Divisions

5^th Army

16^th Corps: 46^th, 47^th, 48^th Divisions

17^th Corps: 49^th, 50^th, 51^st Divisions

18^th Corps: 52^nd, 53^rd, 54^th Divisions

19^th Corps: 55^th, 56^th, 57^th Divisions

18^th Army

60^th Corps: 178^th, 179^th, 180^th Divisions

61^st Corps: 181^st, 182^nd, 183^rd Divisions

62^nd Corps: 184^th, 185^th, 186^th Divisions

3^rd FIELD ARMY

7^th Army

21^st Corps: 61^st, 62^nd, 63^rd Divisions

22^nd Corps: 64^th, 65^th, 66^th Divisions

24^th Corps: 70^th, 71^st, 72^nd Divisions

8^th Army

20^th Corps: 58^th, 59^th, 60^th Divisions

23^rd Corps: 67^th, 68^th, 69^th Divisions

26^th Corps: 76^th, 77^th, 78^th Divisions

32^nd Corps: 94^th, 95^th, 96^th Divisions

9^th Army

25^th Corps: 73^rd, 74^th, 75^th Divisions

27^th Division: 79^th, 80, 81^st Divisions

30^th Corps: 88^th, 89^th, 90^th Divisions

31^st Corps: 91^st, 92^nd, 93^rd Divisions

10^th Army

28^th Corps: 82^nd, 83^rd, 84^th Divisions

29^th Corps: 85^th, 86^th, 87^th Divisions

Guangdong & Guanxi Column : 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd Divisions

4^th FIELD ARMY

12^th Army

40^th Corps: 118^th, 199^th, 120^th Divisions

41^st Corps: 121^st, 122^nd, 123^rd Divisions

45^th Corps: 133^rd, 134^th, 135^th Divisions

46^th Corps: 136^th, 137^th, 138^th Divisions

13^th Army

38^th Corps: 112^th, 113^th, 114^th Divisions

39^th Corps: 115^th, 116^th, 117^th Divisions

49^th Corps: 145^th, 246^th, 147^th Divisions

14^th Army

68^th Corps: 202^nd, 203^rd, 204^th Divisions

42^nd Corps: 134^th, 135^th, 136^th Divisions

50^th Corps: 148^th, 149^th, 150^th Divisions

47^th Corps: 139^th, 140^th, 141^st Divisions

15^th Army

43^rd Corps: 127^th, 128^th, 129^th Divisions

44^th Corps: 130^th, 131^st, 132^nd Divisions

16^th Army

51^st Corps: 151^st, 152^nd, 153^rd Divisions

52^nd Corps: 154^th, 155^th, 156^th Divisions

58^th Corps: 172^nd, 173^rd, 174^th Divisions

17^th Army

55^th Corps: 163^rd, 164^th, 165^th Divisions

56^th Corps: 166^th, 167^th, 168^th Divisions

57^th Division: 169^th, 170^th, 171^st Divisions

21^st Army

71^st Corps: 211^th,212^th, 213^th Divisions

72^nd Corps: 214^th, 215^th, 216^th Divisions

73^rd Corps: 217^th, 218^th, 219^th Divisions

Special Army

1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th Artillery Divisions, Tank Forces, 4^th Field Cavalry??

52^nd Corps: 154^th, 155^th, 156^th Divisions

53^rd Corps: 157^th, 158^th, 159^th Divisions

5^th FIELD ARMY

19^th Army

63^rd Corps: 187^th, 188^th, 189^th Divisions

64^th Corps: 190^th, 191^st, 192^nd Divisions

65^th Corps:193^rd, 194^th, 195^th Divisions

20^th Army

66^th Corps: 196^th, 197^th, 198^th Divisions

67^th Corps: 199^th, 200^th, 201^st Divisions

68^th Corps: 202^nd, 203^rd, 204^th Divisions

23^rd Army

36^th Corps: 10^th, 107^th, 108^th Divisions

37^th Corps: 109^th, 110^th, 111^th Divisions

69^th Corps: 205^th, 206^th, 207^th Divisions

70^th Corps: 208^th, 209^th, 210^th Divisions

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