The Korean People's Army, or KPA as it will be referred to was an interesting Army. To begin with. It was patterned after the Soviet Army of the Second World War, and a number of its senior officers had seen active service in the War against Germany. as well as in the short campaign against Japan. While some of the rank and file were veterans of Soviet Army, far more were veterans of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. The end of the Chinese Civil War In 1949 released thousands of Koreans who had served In Manchuria. as the new Chinese government attempted to disband its Amy as quickly as possible to begin rebuilding the country. As these veterans were returned home. they were used along with draftees to build up the NKA. In June 1950, the NKA was made up of the following elements: 1st Division: 20th. 22nd, and 24th Infantry Regts. 2nd Division: 4th. 6th, and 17th Infantry Regts. 3rd Division: 7th. 8th. and 9th Infantry Regts. 4th Division: 5th, 16th, and 18th Infantry Regts. 5th Division: 10th. 11th. and 12th Infantry Regts. 6th Division: 13th. 14th, and 15th Infantry Regts. 7th Division: 1st. 2nd. and 3rd Infantry Regts. 10th Division: 25th. 27th, and 29th Infantry Regts. 13th Division: 19th. 21st. and 29th Infantry Regts. 15th Division: 45th, 48th, and 50th Infantry Regts. 105th Armored Brigade: 107th. 109th. and 203rd Tank Regiments. 206th Motorized Infantry Regiment. 83rd Independent Motorcycle Regiment: 1st. 2nd. 3rd. 5th. and 7th. Border Constabulary Brigades The COMMAND DECISION organizations for these units are as follows: KPA INFANTRY DIVISION (Experienced. Morale 9) DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS 1 Command Stand 1 Jeep 1 Staff Radio Truck 1 Motorcycle Recon SMG Stand DIVISIONAL RECONNAISSANCE COMPANY 2 Recon Cavalry SMG Stands 3 RIFLE REGIMENTS, each with: REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS 1 Command Stand 1 Engineer Stand 1 Recon Motorcycle SMG Stand 1 Staff Radio Truck 1 Jeep ANTITANK COMPANY 2 Gun Crews 2 Light Trucks 2 45mm. AT Guns INFANTRY GUN COMPANY 1 Gun Crew (DS) 1 Medium Truck 1 76.2 Infantry Gun MORTAR COMPANY 1 Gun Crew (DS) 1 Medium Truck 1 120mm Mortar 3 INFANTRY BATTALIONS: each with; BATTALION HEADQUARTERS 1 Command Stand 1 Recon Patrol Stand 1 ATR Stand 3 INFANTRY COMPANIES: each with; 1 Command Stand 3 Infantry Stand MACHINE GUN COMPANY: 2 MMG Stands MORTAR COMPANY: 1 82mm Mortar Stand (DS) ARTILLERY REGIMENT: REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS: 1 Command Stand 1 Jeep 1 Staff Radio Truck 2 Supply Trucks 2 ARTILLERY BATTALIONS: each with; 1 Command Stand 1 FO Stand 2 Jeeps 3 Gun Crews (DS) 3 Medium Trucks 3 76.2 Field Guns 1 ARTILLERY BATTALION: 1 Command Stand 1 FO Stand 2 Jeeps 3 Gun Crews (DS) 3 Medium Trucks 3 122mm Howitzers 1 SELF PROPELLED ARTILLERY BATTALION 1 Command Stand 1 FO Stand 2 Jeeps 3 SU-76s. ANTITANK BATTALION 1 Command Stand 1 Jeep 3 Gun Crews 4 Light Trucks 3 45mm AT Guns 1 ATR Stand ENGINEER BATTALION 1 Command Stand 5 Engineer Stands 3 Medium Trucks with Trailers 105th ARMORED BRIGADE (Experienced, Morale 10) BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS 1 Command BA-64 1 Recon M Motorcycle Stand 1 Staff Radio Truck 3 TANK REGIMENTS: each with: REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS 1 Command T-34/85 1 Recon SW Motorcycle Stand 1 Engineer Stand 1 Medium Truck 1 Heavy Recovery Tractor SUBMACHINE COMPANY 1 Command Stand 3 SMG Stands 3 TANK BATTALIONS: each with; 1 Command T-34/85 2 T-34/85's 206th MOTORIZED INFANTRY REGIMENT REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS 1 Command Stand 1 Jeep 1 Staff Radio Truck ARTILLERY BATTALION 1 Command Stand 1 FO Stand 2 Jeeps 3 76mmL39 Field Guns 3 Gun Crews (DS) 3 Medium Trucks MORTAR BATTALION 1 Command Stand 1 FO Stand 2 Jeeps 3 120mm Mortars 3 Gun Crews (DS) 3 Medium Trucks TANK BATTALION HEADQUARTERS Command T- 34 Tank Recon BA-64 4 TANK COMPANIES, each with; 2 T-34 Tanks ANTITAIRCRAFT MACHINEGUN COMPANY 2 AAMG Stands (DS) 2 Medium Trucks SUBMACHINE GUN COMPANY 2 SMG Stands 1 Medium Truck RECON COMPANY 1 Recon BA-32 1 SMG Recon Stand 1 Light Truck 2 Recon Jeeps with AAMG 3 INFANTRY BATTALIONS, each with: BATTALION HEADQUARTERS 1 Command Stand 1 SMG Stand 1 Medium Truck 3 RIFLE COMPANIES, each with 1 Command Stand 3 Infantry Stands 2 Medium Trucks MACHINE GUN COMPANY 2 MMG Stands 1 Medium Truck MORTAR COMPANY 1 82mm Mortar (DS) 1 Medium Truck ANTITANK COMPANY 1 Gun Crew 1 ATR Stand 1 45mm AT Gun 2 Light Trucks 1 SELF PROPELLED ARTILLERY BATTALION 1 Command Stand 1 FO Stand 2 Jeeps 3 SU-76s. 83rd INDEPENDENT MOTORCYCLE REGIMENT: Experienced, Morale 10 REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS 1 Command Stand 1 Jeep 1 Staff Radio Truck MORTAR BATTALION 1 Command Stand 1 FO Stand 2 Jeeps 3 82mm Mortars (DS) 3 Medium Trucks RECON COMPANY 1 Recon BA-32 1 SM Recon Stand 1 Light Truck 2 Recon Jeeps with AAMG MOTORCYCLE BATTALION, with: BATTALION HEADQUARTERS: 1 Command Motorcycle Stand 3 MOTORCYCLE INFANTRY COMPANIES 1 Command Motorcycle Stand 3 Motorcycle SMG Stands MOTORIZED MACHINE GUN COMPANY 2 MMG Stands 1 Medium Truck MOTORIZED SUBMACHINE COMPANY 1 Command Stand 3 SAG Stands 1 Jeep 3 Light Trucks ANTITANK COMPANY 1 Gun Crew 1 ATR Stand 1 45mm AT Gun 2 Light Trucks BORDER CONSTABULARY BRIGADE BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS 1 Command Stand 1 Car 1 Staff Radio Truck 6-7 BORDER CONSTABULARY BATTALIONS (Trained. Morale 9) BATTALION HEADQUARTERS Command Stand 2 MMG Stamds 1 82mm Mortar (DS) 1 ATR Stand 3 BORDER GUARD COMPANIES 1 Command Stand 3 SMG Stands NOTES TO THE ABOVE The 150th Armored Brigade was not used in the field as a complete unit, as battalions of its component Tank Regiments were detached to serve with the other infantry divisions. The main elements of the Brigade took part In the capture of Seoul. and the unit was redesigned as the 150th Armored Division after the fall of the city. The above organizations are the paper strengths of these units at the time they crossed the 38th Parallel. The KPA was organized for a one shot offensive, with little ability to replace lost equipment or skilled personnel. Infantry strength was kept up by drafting South Koreans into the KPA as it swept south with mixed results, but neither commanders nor equipment commanders could be replaced. I suggest when doing scenarios with the KPA from July to November of 1950 that one roll for the stands remaining within the KPA unit. For each stand. roll one die, with a roll of a 6 indicating that stand/weapon Is not present. Subtract one from the die if the stand is pure infantry/SMG. add one to the die for every month after July 1950. that the scenario is set in. Thus. rolls for a KPA unit in September would add +2 to the die, so that a result of 4. 5. or 6 would indicate that the stand was not present. There is some confusion over the actual identify of the Motorcycle Regiment. It is referred to as the 12th. 17th. 83rd, and the 603rd at various times. The TO&E listed for It Is tentative, and is based on its operations in combat, as well as Soviet Motorcycle Regiments from World War II: The Border Constabulary Brigades were either used in the attack south. or were then converted to Infantry Divisions, or drafted as replacements into the existing divisions. Additional divisions were raised as the conflict went on, but they tended to be "paper divisions". with a field strength at best half that of the division listed above. For firing data and statistics, using the Charts for the Russian Army in World War II. As the size of the NKA diminished due to losses during the campaign. the expertise level of the survivors increased. Thus, after August 1950, the surviving original NKA units should be rated as Veteran. Morale 7. Back to Table of Contents -- Command Post Korean War Supplement To Command Post Quarterly List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1992 by Greg Novak. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com