ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 2016 25 October 1950
FIELD REPORT (ADVATIS - 1194) 18 October 1950
1. PERSONAL DETAILS:| NAME: | KIM, Sang Chol (金相鐵) (김상철) |
| PW NUMBER: | 22052 |
| RANK: | Jr Lt (少尉) |
| AGE: | 22 |
| ORGANIZATION: | Supply Officer |
| DUTIES WITH UNIT: | 75th Regt Rear Echelon |
| EDUCATION: | 12 yrs |
| OCCUPATION: | Student |
| PLACE OF CAPTURE: | YONGC’HON (漣川) (1000-1700) |
| DATE OF CAPTURE: | 9 Oct 50 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH: | HAMGYONG NAMDO, TANCH’ON-GUN, PUKTO IL-MYON, TAESIN-RI #459 (咸鏡南道 端川郡 北斗 日面 大新里 四五九番地) |
| HOME ADDRESS: | Same as above |
| INTERROGATOR: | Sgt SASAKI (ATIS) |
No detailed information obtained about the 75th Regt as PW was in the rear area most of the time. Reliability of information is fair.
3. TACTICAL INFORMATION:Chronology:
9 Apr 47 - Conscripted into 5th Regt, 2nd Inf Div, and assigned to supply section as food ration clerk. This unit was located in NANAM (羅南), KOREA.
29 Jun 48 - Promoted to Sr Sgt.
9 Nov 49 - Transferred to NAJIN (羅津), Democratic Youth League Training Center. His duty here was food rations clerk.
29 Oct 49 - The Democratic Youth League Training Center is NAJIN was deactivated and the 147 officers and men who were assigned there went to WONSAN. Assigned to Fatherland Defense Association Hq (祖國保衛後援會本部) and assisted food rations officers as food rations clerk for the 147 officers and men.
18 July 50 - Arrived at P’YONGYANG and assigned to Ministry of Defense (民族保衛省) together with the afore-mentioned 147 officers and men.
21 July 50 - Together with 7 other officers, PW arrived at HAMHUNG (咸興) and assigned to the 75th Inf Regt as food rations officers
19 Sep 50 - Departed HAMHUNG for combat.
6 Oct 50 - 75th Regt Rear Echelon arrived at CHORWON (鐵原)
7 Oct 50 - Met with retreating forces of the 75th Regt, 4km S of YONCH’ON. Then the rear echelon retreated to a point 8 km N of YONCH’ON.
9 Oct 50 - Received orders from the C of S to retreat. Instead of retreating PW and 3 men drove 2 trucks 5 km S of YONCH’ON. Captured by ROK forces. Heard the “Voice of America” program in early July 50, was influenced, and wanted to surrender. However, if he had attempted to surrender earlier he would have been shot even by his closest friends.
75th Inf Regt:
YONCH’ON Area- OBSERVATION - 21 July 50 - 9 Oct 50.
Heard that this regiment was activated at HAMHUNG on 1 July 50. There were 3 infantry battalions and an artillery battalion in this regiment.
Following are units which were attached directly to the regimental Hqs:
1. 45mm AT Rifle Co.
2. 76mm AT Rifle Co.
3. 120mm Mortar Co.
4. Signal Co.
5. Transportation Co.
6. Medical Co.
7. Automatic Rifle Co.
8. Reconnaissance Plat.
9. Engr Plat.
10. Guard Plat.
11. Band Plat.
12. AA MG Plat.
On 21 July 50 practically all the troops of the 75th Regt were recruits, and were engaged in basic infantry training.
The Regt, with the exception of the Artillery Bn which remained in HAMHUNG, moved to UIJONBU with a unit strength of about 2,800 officers and men. The Rear Echelon moved to CHORWON.
The Regt went into battle for the first time at UIJONGBU on 5 Oct 50. The unit strength of the Regiment was about 800-100 men on 7 Oct 50.
The Regt was comparatively well equipped. The three infantry Battalion troops were all equipped with rifles. There were 45mm AT Rifles, 76mm AT Rifles and 120mm mortars but they were of a small number. Signal equipment and medical supplies were lacking. According to the T/O there should have been 57 trucks assigned to the regiment but it had only 15 trucks. The only weapons that they had in sufficient numbers were Russian manufactured automatic rifles. The Engr Plat had some land mines and mine detectors. The AA MG Plat, did not have any AA MG’s but was provided with HMG’s.
Generally speaking, there was a lack of all the weapons and equipment required by the regiment.
There were 2 Russian Officers, who acted as advisers to the 75th Regt. Both of these officers wore Russian Uniforms and were Lt Cols, one of whom was the infantry adviser and the other the artillery adviser. they were in the Regt Hqs and often went out to inspect the various units. These advisers were last seen at HAMHUNG on 18 Sep 50, and it was heard that these advisers were moving to P’YONGYANG.
75th Inf Regt Personalities:
Regt CO - LEE, Yong (李勇)
Rank: Col (大佐)
Age - 32
Remarks: Attended Jap Univ.
C/S - CH’A, Ch’ang Il (車昌一)
Rank - Major (少佐)
Age - 26
Remarks - Attended Higher Mil Academy.
585th Tank Regt:
HAMHUNG (Hearsay - 3 Sep 50)
The 585th Tank Regt was organized in Mid-Aug at HAMHUNG, and assigned as a defense unit there.
Informant estimated that there were approximately 30 Russian T/34s (IN:Unclear). On 3 Sep 50, PW saw T/34 tank stalled near the RR station and heard from the Korean soldier in the tank that they were going to a mountain located 7 to 10 km SW of HAMHUNG RR station. there was a Russian officer in the tank.
The tanks were believed to be hidden in caves alongside the mountains and camouflaged. The tanks moved only during the day.
PW believed that there was a large number of Russian advisers attached to the 585th Tank Regt.
General Information:
HAMHUNG:
Clothing for NK troops in HAMHUNG was made by families in HAMHUNG. Each house had to make a certain number of clothes. There was a factory making tommy guns and ammunition but it has been demolished by bombing raids.
For the Commanding Officer:
WEELDREYER
Executive
