ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 1598 3 October 1950
FIELD REPORT (ADVATIS - 0946) 29 September 1950
1. PERSONAL DETAILS:| PW NAME: | CH’OE, Chu Yong (崔珠英) (최주영) |
| PW NO: | 63 NK 5822 |
| RANK: | Maj (少佐) |
| AGE: | 26 |
| DUTY: | Operations Officer |
| UNIT: | Unassigned at time of capture, was operations officer, Arty Regt, 4th Div until 16 Sep 50 |
| EDUCATION: | Middle School Graduate |
| OCCUPATION: | Farmer |
| PLACE OF CAPTURE: | SANGJU (尙州) (1110-1500) |
| PLACE OF BIRTH: | HAMGYONG PUK-To, ONSONG-Gun, NAMYANG-Myon HYANGDANG-Dong #84 (咸鏡北道 穩城郡 南陽面 香棠洞 八四番地) |
| HOME ADDRESS: | Same as above |
| INTERROGATOR: | Sgt HAYASHIDA (ATIS) |
PW was intelligent but not cooperative. He was hesitant in answering and seemed to be in a state of mental depression. Reliability - poor.
3. TACTICAL INFORMATION:Chronology:
| 12 Jan 47: | Enlisted in the NKPA at KAECH’ON. |
| 12 Jan 47 - | Received artillery training at the KAECH’ON Peace |
| 10 Feb 47: | Preservation Corps Training Center with approximately 200 other men. Type of training received included mechanics and service of the 76-mm M1942 Gun and a short course on trajectory. There was only one piece available for training purposes. |
| Instructors were Koreans who possessed Russian citizenship. | |
| 10 Feb 47: | Commissioned as Sr Lt. All 200 trainees were commissioned. |
| 10 Feb 47 - | PW was company commander 3rd Go, 1st Bn, 1st Div |
| 14 Sep 48: | Arty Regt. Until the latter part of 47, the regt was known as the 4th Sub-unit of the 1st Unit. |
| During this period, the disposition of the 1st Div was as follows: Div Arty Regt stationed in SINUIJU, 1st Regt in South SINUIJU, 2nd Regt in CHONGJU, 3rd Regt in KANGGYE, and Div Hq and lesser subordinate units at KAECH’ON. Strength of the 1st 1st Div was approximately 10,000 men. PW was transferred to Div Arty Regt, 4th Div in grade of Major. | |
| Sep 48 - Dec 48: | The 4th Div was activated in CHINNAMP'O Area in the early part of Sep 48. Organization was completed by Dec 48. With the exception of the officers and NCO's who were from the 1st and 2nd Divisions, all of the men were raw recruits. |
| Disposition of the 4th Div units were as follows: Div Arty Regt was stationed in CH’IOL-Ri (池乙里) Div Hqs, 5th, 16th and 18th Regts and lesser units of the division were located in CHINNAMP'O. Strength of the division was approx 10,000 men. The division was up to strength. | |
| Dec 48 - 19 Jun 50: | The division underwent basic infantry training. Until 1 May 50, the division followed the normal training schedule but after that date, training was accelerated to the extent that by the time of departure, 19 Jun 50, the men had attained sufficient combat proficiency. |
| 22 Jun 50: | Entire 4th Div arrived NAMCH'ON, marched SE into the mountains 16 km W of YONCH’ON. |
| 23 Jun 50 - 25 Jun 50: | The unit made general preparation for war. All men were issued ammunition. 1140 rounds were issued per 76-mm M1942 Gun and 80 rounds per 122-mm Howitzer. The Div Arty Regt had 26 x 76-mm and 12 x 122-mm Howitzers only. |
| 25 0445 Jun 50: | The division started the drive south across the 38° Parallel. The 16th and 18th Regts attacked south on the YONCH’ON-UIJONGBU highway while the 5th Regt was held in reserve. The Div Arty Regt followed the 5th Regt, giving artillery support. Except for the short preparatory fire when the 16th and 18th Regts prepared to cross the 38° Parallel, the Div Arty Regt was not called upon for support. The 3rd Div on the left flank of the 4th Div arrived in the northern outskirts of UIJONGBU. |
| 26 Jun 50: | By 0900 hrs, the 16th and 18th Regts assisted by elements of the 3rd Div occupied UIJONGBU. Div Arty Regt remained in the northern outskirts of UIJONGBU. |
| 27 Jun 50: | Div Arty Regt arrived UIJONGBU. PW heard that the infantry units had advanced to the northern outskirts of SEOUL. Div Arty Regt departed UIJONGBU. To date, the Div Arty Regt sustained about 30 casualties but no loss of equipment. |
| 27 Jun 50 - 1 Jul 50: | Div Arty Regt remained 10 km N on the UIJONGBU-SEOUL highway. Infantry units of the 4th Div fallowed 3rd Div into SEOUL on 28 Jun 50. Div Arty Regt arrived SEOUL. There were no incidents between UIJONGBU and SEOUL. Upon arrival at SEOUL, PW noticed that the entire 4th Div was a assembled. Losses sustained by the 4th Div to date unknown. |
| 2 Jul 50: | PW heard that infantry units of the 4th Div departed SEOUL, with SUWON as their objective. |
| 6 Jul 50: | Div Arty Regt deserted SEOUL. PW heard that infantry units had advanced to the outskirts of SUWON. |
| O/a 20 Jul 50: | Div Arty Regt assemble at TAEJON. PW remembers that element of the 1st Bn participated in the battle for CH’ONAN and that the 1st and 2nd Batteries or the 1st Bn provided artillery support at TAEJON, but does not remember dates or division order of battle. Route of travel from SEOUL was via SUWON, CH'ONAN, KONGJU and NONSAN. Div Arty Regt sustained a total loss of 15 x 76-mm Guns) 6 x 122-mm Howitzers and about 200 men as of that date due to enemy air action. Infantry units had advanced in the direction of KUMSAN. |
| O/a 6 Aug 50: | Div Arty Regt arrived HYOPCH'ON. Route of travel was via KUMSAN, CHANGGYE-Ri and KOCH’ANG. No incidents enroute. Upon arrival at HYOPCH’ON, PW heard that the 5th, 16th and 18th Regts were on the west bank of the NAKTONG River immediately south of junction of HWANG River and NAKTONG River. |
| O/a 7 Aug 50: | Div Arty Regt arrived in the above area. |
| O/a 8 Aug 50: | Entire 4th Div departed the above area and marched south to KYONGSAN-Ni. |
| O/a 9 Aug 50: | All infantry units, 4th Div crossed the NAKTONG River. Div Arty crossed the river with 12 guns and 500 men. Objective of the division was YONGSAN. The division advanced unopposed to a point 8 km E of the NAKTONG River. At this point encountered strong enemy opposition. |
| O/a 9 Aug 50 - 18 Aug 50: | The division maintained contact with the enemy and was unable to make any progress. During this period, the Div Arty Regt lost all of its guns and 100 men. |
| 18 Aug 50: | 4th Div withdrew across the NAKTONG River under heavy shelling and assembled at KYONGSAN-Ni. Division strength unknown but PE heard that it was approx 5,000 men. |
| 20 Aug 50: | 4th Div withdrew to SINCH’ON-NI because (hearsay) the division combat efficiency decreased the point that it was no longer an effective combat force. |
| 20 Aug 50 - 1 Sep 50: | 4th Div was in the process of reorganization. Div Arty Regt received 300 replacements. Replacements were unarmed and untrained. All artillery pieces in the area were gathered and repaired. In this way, the regt reclaimed 12 pieces. |
| 1 Sep 50: | 4th Div followed the 9th Div and crossed the NAKTONG River E of KYONGSAN-Ni and advanced to a point 9 km E of the NAKTONG River. Objective of the 4th and 9th Divs was YONGSAN. At the above point, the division met stiff resistance and were not able to make any progress. |
| 1 Sep 50 - 16 Sep 50: | 9th Div spearheaded all attacks while 4th Div remained in the area. Both units sustained heavy casualties from enemy artillery fire aid air attacks. On 16 Sep 50, strength of Div Arty Regt, 4th Div was approx 700 men. |
| 16 Sep 50: | PW received orders to report to Field Headquarters in KUMCH’ON for re-assignment. |
| Sep 50: | PW arrived at KUMCH'ON and heard that Field Headquarters had moved to SANGJU. |
| 23 Sep 50: | PW arrived SANGJU and was captured by US Forces. |
Morale:
Morale of the troops was very low because no supplies arrived from the rear PW does not know how the Regt’l commanders felt, but the lower ranking officers invariably thought that they were all fighting a futile war. The men were obedient to orders.
Code Numbers:
4th Div - 485
Div Arty Regt - 469
Personalities:
LEE, Kwon Mu (李權j武) (이권무) Maj Gen, 36
CG, 4th Div. Member of CCF until 43. Went to RUSSIA.
Returned to KOREA in Aug 45.
HO, Pong Hak (許鳳鶴) (허봉학) Sr Col, 32
Chief of Staff, 4th Div
PAK, Kum Ch’ol (朴金喆) (박금철) Sr Col, 45
Cultural Officer, 4th Div
LEE, Hi Jin (李熙珍) (이희진) Col, 27
CO, Divt Arty Regt, 4th Div
For the Commanding Officer:
WEELDREYER
Executive
