The 24th Army was a

military formation Military organization or military organisation is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require. In some countries paramilitary forces are included in a nation ...

of the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...

. It was established in February 1949 and finally disbanded circa 2000–2003. The 24th Corps() was activated in February 1949, which has originally consisted of the 70th Division (now 3rd Guard Division), 71st Division, and 72nd Division. In October 1950, the 71st Division detached from the corps and joined the

PLAAF The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army, the regular armed forces of the Pe ...

. In July 1952, the 73rd Division detached from the corps to join the 23rd Corps, which was later deployed into North Korea. The 74th Division joined the corps on August 26, 1952, after the disbandment of the 25th Corps. In September 1952, the corps, along with its 70th, 72nd, and 74th divisions, were deployed into North Korea as a part of the

People's Volunteer Army The People's Volunteer Army (PVA) was the armed expeditionary forces deployed by the People's Republic of China during the Korean War. Although all units in the PVA were actually transferred from the People's Liberation Army under the order ...

. The corps originally garrisoned in

Wonsan Wŏnsan (), previously known as Wŏnsanjin (), Port Lazarev, and Genzan (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwŏn Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...

against amphibious threats. In December 1952 it was deployed into the Triangle Hill area, In October 1955, the corps withdrew from North Korea and redeployed in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

Tianjin Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popul ...

Tangshan Tangshan () is a coastal, industrial prefecture-level city in the northeast of Hebei province. It is located in the eastern part of Hebei Province and the northeastern part of the North China Plain. It is located in the central area of the Boha ...

area. It was then a part of the

Beijing Military Region The Beijing Military Region was one of seven military regions for the Chinese People's Liberation Army. From the mid 1980s to 2017, it had administration of all military affairs within Beijing city, Tianjin city, Hebei province, Shanxi province, ...

until its inactivation. On January 1, 1957, the 74th Division detached from the corps to join the 66th Corps; the 197th Division attached to the corps from the 66th Corps. In January 1960, the 70th Division was reconstituted into a mechanized division. In April 1960 the corps was redesignated as the 24th Army Corps(). By then the corps was composed of: * 70th Army Division **208th Motorized Infantry Regiment **209th Motorized Infantry Regiment (activated on January 25, 1961) **210th Motorized Infantry Regiment **275th Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment **350th Artillery Regiment **Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment * 72nd Army Division **214th Regiment **215th Regiment **216th Regiment **351st Artillery Regiment * 197th Army Division **589th Regiment **590th Regiment **591st Regiment **577th Artillery Regiment **402nd Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment *127th Artillery Regiment *49th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment In 1961, the corps absorbed personnel and equipment from the disbanding 575th Artillery Regiment, 195th Army Division, and five battalions from the 592nd and 594th Regiment, 198th Army Division. In April 1962, the 49th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment was reduced to a battalion. The 402nd Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment of the 197th Army Division was put under direct control by the army corps. On October 25, 1964, the 3rd Engineer District of Beijing Military Region was activated by the army corps. In June 1966, the 70th Army Division detached from the corps and joined the

Beijing Guard District } Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...

. By then the corps was composed of: * 72nd Army Division **214th Regiment **215th Regiment **216th Regiment **351st Artillery Regiment * 197th Army Division **589th Regiment **590th Regiment **591st Regiment **577th Artillery Regiment * 3rd Engineer District of Beijing Military Region **153rd Engineer Regiment **154th Engineer Regiment **155th Engineer Regiment *402nd Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment *127th Artillery Regiment In September 1968, the 402nd Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment detached from the army corps and joined the 1st Tank Division. In June 1969, all artillery regiments were stripped with number designations. In October-November 1969, the army corps exchanged the 74th Division from the 66th Army Corps with its 197th Army Division. In the same month, the 3rd Engineer District of Beijing Military Region was reconstituted as the 71st Army Division. In December 1969, the 74th Army Division was redesignated as the 70th Army Division. By then the corps was composed of: * 70th Army Division **208th Regiment **209th Regiment **210th Regiment **Artillery Regiment * 71st Army Division **211st Regiment **212nd Regiment **213rd Regiment **Artillery Regiment * 72nd Army Division **214th Regiment **215th Regiment **216th Regiment **Artillery Regiment *Artillery Regiment In 1976, Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment, 24th Army Corps was activated; Tank Regiment, 24th Army Corps was reconstituted from the 2nd Independent Tank Regiment of Beijing Military Region. In November 1980, the

5th Garrison Division of Beijing Military Region Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash tha ...

and Independent Division of Hebei Provincial Military District joined the army corps. In March 1983, the 5th Artillery Division was put under the corps' control. By then the corps was composed of: * 70th Army Division **208th Regiment **209th Regiment **210th Regiment **Artillery Regiment * 71st Army Division **211st Regiment **212nd Regiment **Artillery Regiment * 72nd Army Division **214th Regiment **215th Regiment **216th Regiment **Artillery Regiment *

**18th Garrison Regiment **19th Garrison Regiment **20th Garrison Regiment **Artillery Regiment *

7th Garrison Division of Beijing Military Region 1st Independent Division of Hebei Provincial Military District () was formed in July 1966 basing on six independent infantry regiment (1st to 6th) and independent infantry company of Hebei Provincial Military District. In March 1969 it renamed ...

**26th Garrison Regiment **27th Garrison Regiment **28th Garrison Regiment **Artillery Regiment * 5th Artillery Division **34th Artillery Regiment **35th Artillery Regiment **50th Artillery Regiment **206th Artillery Regiment *Tank Regiment *Artillery Regiment *Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment In 1985, the army corps was reconstituted as the 24th Army(). The 197th Army Division, 608th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment of the 68th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division, Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment of 66th Army Corps, 149th Engineer Regiment of Beijing Military Region attached to the army. The army was then composed of: * 70th Infantry Division - a ''northern motorized infantry division, category A'' **208th Infantry Regiment **209th Infantry Regiment **210th Infantry Regiment **Tank Regiment - former Tank Regiment, 24th Army Corps **Artillery Regiment **Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment - former Tank Regiment, 24th Army Corps * 72nd Infantry Division - a ''northern infantry division, category B'' **214th Regiment **215th Regiment **216th Regiment **Artillery Regiment * 5th Garrison Brigade of Beijing Military Region * 7th Garrison Brigade of Beijing Military Region *Artillery Brigade - reduced from the 5th Artillery Division *Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade - reorganized from the 608th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment and the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment of 66th Army Corps *Engineer Regiment *Communications Regiment In 1989, the army participated in the crackdown on protests in Beijing with its 70th Infantry Division, 72nd Infantry Brigade, and the 7th Garrison Brigade. In 1992, both the 5th and the 7th garrison brigades were disbanded. In April 1996 the 1st Tank Division joined the army. In 1998, the 72nd Infantry Division left the army and was reorganized as a reserve formation. In the early 2000s, Blasko listed the army as consisting of the:Dennis J. Blasko, "PLA Ground Forces: Moving towards a Smaller, More Rapidly Deployable, Modern Combined Arms Force," The PLA as Organization, ed. James C. Mulvenon and Andrew N.D. Yang (Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2002), 328. *Headquarters, 24th Group Army, Chengde, Hebei ** 70th Infantry Division ** 1st Armored Division (

) **Artillery Brigade, Changli **Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade In 2003 the army was disbanded. *The 70th Infantry Division was reduced to the 70th Motorized Infantry Brigade to join the 65th Army; *The 1st Armored Division also joined the 65th Army; *The Artillery Brigade, and the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade were disbanded.

Commanders

* Yao Baoqian (1983–?)

References

{{Corps and Armies of the People's Liberation Army Field armies of the People's Liberation Army Military units and formations established in 1949