ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 954 11 September 1950
FIELD REPORT (164 - LDI - 0762) 5 September 1950
1. PERSONAL DETAILS:| NAME: | PAEK Song Kang (백성강) |
| PW NO: | 63 NK 518 |
| RANK: | Cpl |
| AGE: | 23 |
| UNIT: | 2nd Div, 6th Regt (244 unit), 2nd Bn (4,235 unit) Hq |
| DUTY: | Clerk |
| EDUCATION: | Primary School, 6 yrs |
| OCCUPATION: | Farmer |
| ADDRESS: | PYONGYANG NAMDO, KANSO GUN JANG TONG MYON DUMYON RI (평안남도 광서군 장동면 두명리 301번지 #301) |
| DATE & PLACE CAPTURED: | 3 Sep 50, 5 km W of CHANGNYONG by 25th Inf Regt |
| INTERROGATOR: | Sgt ONNA |
Sqd - 10 troops: Weapons
1 - PPsh M1941 SMG, three (3) 72 rd magazines
1 - DP LMG, three (3) 47 rd magazines
8 - M1981/30 rifles; 150 rds per rifle.
2 - Handgrenades per soldier
Plt (4 Rifle sqds) - 45 troops
Weapons
Same as above
Co (3 rifle plts & HMG Plt) - 140 - 150 troops
Weapons
Same as above
HMG Plt: 2 - HMG Maxim M1910, 2,500 rds per HMG.
Bn (3 rifle Co’s) - about 680 troops.
HMG Company
82 mm Mortar Co
Signal Plt
Medic Plt
Supply Plt
AT Rifle Plt
45 mm AT Plt
Weapons & Equipment
Mortar Co - Between 8 to 12 x 82 mm mortars
Signal Plt - 12 x field telephones
Supply Plt - 4 x wagons horse drawn
AT Rifle Plt - 9 PTRD AT Rifles
45 mm AT Plt - 2 x 45 mm guns
Regt (3 rifle Bns) - about 3,000 troops
Arty Company
Signal Company
Recon Plt
Medic Co
Supply Co
TC Co
Weapons & Equipment
Arty Co - 4 x 76 mm M1942 guns
4 x 45 mm M1942 guns
4 or 5 x 120 mm mortars
Recon Plt - Whole plt equipped with M1941 PPsh SMG.
Supply Co - 10 wagons horse-drawn.
TC Co - Between 12 to 13 x 2 1/2 ton trucks
2nd Div (4th, 6th, 17th Regt’s) - Between 14,000 to 15,000 troops
Three (3) Rifle Regts
NCO Training Bn
Recon Company
SP Gun Bn
Engr Bn
Signal Bn
Replacement Unit
Arty Regt
MP Unit
Medic Bn
Field Hospital
Weapons:
16 x SU 76
5 or 6 x 12 mm howitzer
(number unknown) 76 mm guns
(number unknown) 76 mm howitzers
(others unknown)
3. ESTIMATED STRENGTH OF UNITS:2nd Bn, 6th Regt between 31 Aug 50 and 3 Sep 50 suffered 60 killed in action and about 150 wounded.
3rd Bn is said to have suffered 60% casualties between 31 Aug 50 and 3 Sep 50.
4. DISPOSITION OF UNITS:The 6th Inf Regt on 3 Sep 50 was located in the mountains 5 km W of CHANGNYONG.
The 4th Inf Regt was on the right flank of the 6th Regt.
The 17th Inf Regt was on the right flank of 4th Regt.
The Div Arty, SP Gun unit and, possibly, the Div Headquarters located 4 Ions West CHODONG RI.
5. PERSONAL & UNIT HISTORY:Inducted 25 Jan 50 with 200 others at PYONGYANG and assigned to 6th Regt at HAMHUNG. Received basic training between 26 Jan 50 to 26 Arp 50. Between 26 Apr 50 to 22 Jun 50, the informant was the company clerk for the HMG Co of the 3rd Bn.
On 22 Jun 50, the 2nd Div and its elements moved by rail to WONSAN and to CHORWON. At, CHORWON the 1st and 3rd Bns alone of the 6th Regt moved. through CHUNCHON, and were rejoined by the rest of the Div at KAPYONG. From KAPYONG, the elements of the 2nd Div marched through CHUNGJU, ANSONG, KUMCHON, CHODON RI. On 31 Aug 50, the 4th, 6th & 17th Regt crossed the NAKTONG River to within 5 kms of CHANGNYONG. The informant was captured after being separated from Bn Hq.
6. PERSONALITIES:Maj KIM Su Don (김수동), age 30. 2nd Bn CO, 6th Regt
Capt SHIN Chong Yul (신종률), age 27, 5th Co CO, 2nd Bn
7. ARTILLERY:Between 31 Aug 50 and 3 Sep 50 only about 3 x 76 mm guns have been brought across the NAKTONG River. (See T/O of UNIT).
8. FOOD & AMMO SUPPLIES:The 2nd Div and 9ts elements lived off the land because they did not have the transportation to haul food.
The troops were underfed most of the time. The troops had an average of one meal a day until captured.
The ammo for the 2nd Div, and its elements comes from PYONGYANG by way of SEOUL, TAEJON, KUMCHON and CHODONG RI. Trucks, horse-ox drawn wagons were chiefly used to haul ammo.
An average of 15 oxcart loads of ammo reached the Regt once every 3 days.
The 2nd Div is short on artillery ammo, but has sufficient small arms ammo.
In mountains areas, ammo was brought to the regt by farmers, using A frames.
9. REPLACEMENTS:No info on replacements because the informant’s Regt did not receive any.
The 6th Regt’s medical facilities were very poor. The troops did not have sufficient first aid packets or medical corpsmen.
The 2nd Div had about ten (10) doctors. Seriously wounded usually died from lack of medical care.
Wounded troops were not given medical attention or evacuated until after the battle.
Evaluation of wounded troops was made through regular channels.
Troops when separated from their parent organization could join adjacent units but must try to locate their parent organization as soon as possible. There have been many cases where stragglers were not allowed to join adjacent units.
10. ENEMY INTENTIONS:Troops were told never to surrender. If they did, the Bn CO said their families would be tried and sentence to prison. The officers were ordered to shoot any soldier who tried or talked about surrendering.
The mission of the 2rd Div is to take CHANGNYON by 4 Sep 50.
The troops were told that the CCF will join them.
11. MORALE:The morale of the 4th, 6th, 17th Regiments of the 2nd Division is said to very low because of the following reasons:
(1) Lack of food & rest.
(2) Air attacks.
(3) Shortage of medical facilities and arty ammo.
(4) Large numbers of killed & wounded.
The troops fight because, if they don't, they are shot by their superiors.
12. CAPTURED WEAPONS:The informant saw several captured carbines. Captured weapons were taken to the rear (purpose unknown).
13. Us PW'S:About 25 US PW's were observed 8 kms West of CHNGNYONG on 1 Sep 50. The informant heard the PW's were to be sent to PYONGYANG for internment.
14. SOUTH KOREAN SENTIMENT:The true feeling of the people of the newly-occupied areas is unknown, because the people are afraid to voice their opinion.
15. MEDICAL & BACTERIOLOGICAL INFO:The KIM IL SUNG University in PYONGYANG is the Hq for all medical & bacteriological experiments. (no further info)
16. CHOLERA:On 27 Aug 50, the troops of 6th Regt were inoculated against cholera.
17. REMARKS:The information, although limited, is reliable.
For the AC of S, G-2:
SAKAMOTO
