ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 609 19 August 1950
FIELD REPORT (ADVATIS - FEAF LN TEAM NO. 0107) 5 August 1950
| Name: | KIM YONG KUAN (金龍官) |
| Age: | 24 years old. |
| Rank: | Private. |
| Address: | PYONGAN NAMDO YENGWAN GUN TAEKUIK MYUN HASUN-RI, #105. (平安南道 寧遠郡 太極面 和順里) |
| Education: | 3 years, elementary. |
| Previous occupation: | Farming. |
| Length of service: | 3 months, entered 13 April 1950. |
| Military speciality: | Mortar squad. |
| Date of surrender: | 31 July 1950. |
| Place of surrender: | 5 miles south of MUNGYONG. |
| Interrogated by: | YAMASHITA. |
1st Division, 3rd Regiment, 1st Battalion, Mortar Company, 1st Platoon, 2nd Squad.
Unit Commander:1st Battalion HAN YOUN JUN, Captain.
Mortar Company: KO JUNG KIL, Lt.
1st Platoon: YUN MYONG JIN, Jr Lt.
2nd Squad leader: KIM SUN BO, Sgt.
Location of PW’s Unit (as of 30 July 1950):The mortar company and the 1st Battalion were in the hills adjacent to the highway leading to CHINGONG-NI from CHUNGJU, at a spot about five miles out of MUNGYONG. Location of the 3rd Regiment was unknown.
Movement of the Unit:PW’s battalion was formerly attached to the 19th Regiment of the 13th Division when the division was organized in early June 1950 at SINUIJU in the northwestern tip of North KOREA. The entire division entrained to YONCHON on 26 June 1950. After about a day at YONCHON the division moved southward, leaving the mortar battalion behind. The Battalion itself stayed about a week at YONCHON, then was ordered to go to SEOUL for subsequent disposition. At SEOUL the Battalion was ordered to join the 3rd Regiment of the 1st Division. On or about 18 July 1950, the 1st Battalion moved southward via ICHON, WONJU, CHUNGJU, the toward MUNGYONG.
Circumstances of Capture:On 31 July 1950, about daybreak the battalion started to dig in, deployed on a hillside adjacent to the road, at a spot about five miles south of MUNGYONG. About 1000, and an artillery barrage from South Korean forces situated across the hill began and lasted until noon. In the afternoon the South Korean attack forced the PW’s battalion to fall back. PW himself and two others intending: surrender, stayed in their fox holes. The three of them were captured at 1430.
Casualties:Following the battle 5 miles south of NUNGYONG, PW estimated that half of his mortar company were casualties and that approximately 200 of battalions 500 men were casualties.
Capability of Unit:The 1st Battalion received its training at SINUIJU, North KOREA at the Democratic Young Men’s Training School from 13 April 1950 until 20 June 1950. PW’s Mortar Company received the following training: Four times a week three hours each session, lectures and discussion on the structure, operation, repair of 82MM mortars. Every day except Sunday, five hours of close order drills were given. In addition, about then hours of work, such as leveling ground and construction, was done per week. Only on three occasions for an hour at a time, did the mortar company have simulated firing practice with dummy mortars. Mortars were never given the men during their training. As to the efficiency of the mortar company, PW believed it low, because of the meager training and the lack of experience in firing mortars.
Signed TARKENTON/WALKER
