31st Motorized Infantry Division (People's Republic of China)


The 49th Infantry Division was a division of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
It was formed in March 1952 and in August designated as a light division of national defense force. It was the second PRC infantry division numbered 49; 49th Division had been disestablished in 1950-51.
The division was organized from units and detachments of the 5th Army Group left in Guizhou province.
The division was composed of:
From April 1955 the division was put under the Kunming Military Region's control.
From June 1957 the division was transferred to the Chengdu Military Region's control, in May 1958 the division returned to the Kunming MR.
From April 1960 the division was renamed as the 49th Army Division.
From August 1967 to 1968, Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, 49th Army Division was deployed to North Vietnam for air defense missions, during its deployment it allegedly shot down one U.S. aircraft and damaged another.
In November 1969, the division was transferred to newly formed the 11th Army Corps and later redesignated as the 31st Army Division. All its regiments were redesignated as follow:
From February to March 1979 the division took part in the Sino-Vietnamese War. During its deployment the division killed 1402 and captured 54 PAVN soldiers.
In October 1985 the division was transferred to the 14th Army and renamed as the 31st Motorized Infantry Division, as a southern motorized infantry division. Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment, 31st Motorized Infantry Division was established.
In 1998, 91st Infantry Regiment merged with the 18th Tank Regiment, 5th Tank Division as the Armored Regiment, 31st Motorized Infantry Division. Since then the division was composed of:
In 2013 the division was split into two brigades: the 31st Mechanized Infantry Brigade and 32nd Mountain Motorized Infantry Brigade.
In April 2017 the 31st brigade was reorganized as the 31st Heavy Combined Arms Brigade, while the 32nd Brigade was reorganized as the 32nd Mountain Combined Arms Brigade. Both brigades are now maneuver parts of the PLA 75th Group Army, stationing in Dali, Yunnan.