ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 923 9 September 1950
FIELD REPORT (ADVATIS - 0708) 5 September 1950
1. PERSONAL DETAILS:| PW NAME: | HONG, Ik Sun (洪益淳) (홍익순) |
| RANK: | Sgt |
| AGE: | 35 |
| DUTY: | Tank Driver |
| UNIT: | 17th Armored Div, 2nd Armored Bn 1st Co, 1st Plt |
| EDUCATION: | Primary School - 5 years |
| OCCUPATION: | Mechanic |
| PLACE OF CAPTURE: | SINNYONG Area (exact location unknown) |
| DATE OF CAPTURE: | 3 1600 Sep 50 |
| HOME ADDRESS: | HWANG HAEDO, ANAK-GUN, ANAK-MYON, P’ANO-Ri #489 (黃海道 安岳郡 安岳面 攽五里 四八九番地) |
| INTERROGATOR: | Sgt AHN (ATIS) and S/Sgt LEE (FEAF) |
PW was cooperative. Reliability - fair.
3. TACTICAL INFORMATION:Inducted 2 Jul 50, P’YONGYANG (平壤). Trained as a tank driver and tank mechanic with about 200 men, 28 km SE of P'YONGYANG Mountain Area. All tanks were T-34/85.
Departed Training Area 2nd Bn with 15 x tanks 1 about 76 men and supporting infantry (strength of infantry, unknown) 20 Aug 50, by rail. Arrived 5 km S of CHUNGHWA (中和) 21 0430 Aug 50. Remained in train tunnel all day.
Departed from tunnel 21 2100 Aug 50, with group by rail. Arrived KUMCH’ON (金川) the morning of 22 0430 Aug 50. Remained in train tunnel all day.
Departed train tunnel 22 2100 Aug 50, with same group by rail, arrived SEOUL 23 0430 Aug 50. Remained in train tunnel for 3 days. 26 Aug 50, tanks were driven across HAN River during low tide when water was about 4 feet deep. Reloaded tanks and personnel on waiting flat cars south of HAN River and departed 27 2100 Aug 50, arrived YONGHYON-Ni RR tunnel 28 0430 Aug 50. Remained in tunnel for 2 days. Unloaded tanks and personnel on north bank of HAN River, Tanks were driven across the south bank of HAN River and personnel waded across to the south bank. Reloaded tanks and personnel on flat cars and departed 30 Aug 50, arrived YONGJU (榮州) 31 0430 Aug 50.
Departed YONGJU by rail 31 2100 Aug 50, arrived outskirts N of UISONG (義城) 1 Sep 50. Unloaded tanks and personnel. 15 tanks and crew members (5 in each tank) drove for 2 nights. Of 15 tanks, only 6 arrived in SINNYONG (新寧) Area. Infantry supporting unit marched to SINNYONG Area and PW believes that they are about 24 hours in the rear after he was captured. 6 tanks were camouflaged with grass and tree branched at 0500 hrs in SINNYONG Mountain Area. At 1500 hrs, PW and crew members were in the tanks and heard aircraft flying overhead. About 5 minutes later, he heard many more aircraft and they were dropping bombs in the tank area. PW' s tank was hit by one of the bombs and caught fire. PW was afraid to come out of tank for fear that the Japanese soldier (heard from Political Officers) would torture and then kill them. Heard someone yelling to them to come out of the tank in Korean. they Opened the hatch and came out. When they saw that they were ROK Troops, they were very happy. PW saw 3 other tanks burning beside the one he was in. No information on the other 2 tanks. One of crew members was killed by a fragment. PW and 3 others were captured.
Added Information:
There were 45 talks in the 1st and 2nd Tank Bns. 15 tanks of the 45 arrived at the front with the 2nd Bn, The remainder either have arrived or are expected to arrive in the very near future with 1st Bn,
No fuel for tanks was brought with the 2nd Bn. They were told before departure from P'YONGYANG that fuel would be available when they got to SINNYONG. Tanks ware fueled prior to departure from P’YONGYANG. Each tank was filled with 540 liters of diesel oil.
Ammunition:
Each tank carries 55 rounds of 85-mm Shells which is a capacity load. Each tank carries 5 rounds or AP AT shell. U/k high explosives anti-personnel shell. U/k AP HE shells. Each tank carries 2 x 7-mm machine guns mounted in the bow coaxial with the 85-mm Gun. 5 men crew consist of 1 driver, 1 bow machine gunner, 1 85-mm Gunner, 1 ammunition loader and 1 observer or tank commander. Each tank carries 2 x PPsh M1943 Sub-machine guns, 2 x DT Tank machine gun with ground biped.
Thickness of Gun Turret, frontal, 90-mm.
Thickness of Gun Turret, side, 70-mm.
Thickness of Bottom plate, 20-mm.
Thickness of Tank Roar Armor Plate, 70-mm.
Top Speed of T-34/85 tanks - 60 km per hours.
17th Armored Div troop movement, unknown.
Before the 2nd Bn departed P'YONGYANG, PW saw the 17th Armored Div CG, name u/k, rank, Maj Gen. When PW arrived in SINNYONG Area where he was captured, he again saw the 17th Armored Div Commanding General. Whether the 17th Armored Div personnel arrived in SINNYONG Area prior to hie capture, 3 Sep 50, is unknown to PW. No other 17th Armored Div troops seen by PW in area of capture. PW stated that he was confused as to why there was no infantry support for tanks where he was captured.
Supply Dumps and Ammunition Dumps are unknown to PW.
Hearsay: Tank repair unit was to be somewhere in vicinity of the area where he was captured.
Each battalion under full T/0 & E: 22 tanks and 150 men.
Battalion: 4 companies.
Company: 5 tanks.
No tank retrievers.
Prior to departure from P’YONGYANG, PW and the other men were told by the Political Officer (name, unknown) that there were no such thing as a Prisoner of War. If any man was captured by the ROK Forces, they would be tortured by the Japanese Troops who are fighting for the ROK Forces. And if they were not captured by the Japanese, the Nationalist Chinese Forces might also use the Japanese methods. And it the American captured them, they would shoot them without hesitation. (TN: PW changed his view point about maltreatment.)
Personalities:
Plt Ldr - KO, Won Kil (高元吉) Jt Lt; Age 24.
For the Commanding Officer
WEELDREYER
Executive
