ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 2170 2 November 1950
FIELD REPORT (ADVATIS FWD - 0194) 30 October 1950
1. PERSONAL DETAILS:| PW NAME: | LEE, Ha Sop (李河燮) (이하섭) |
| RANK: | Sr Lt (大尉) |
| AGE: | 26 |
| DUTY: | Finance Officer |
| UNIT: | 66th (1st) Regt, 43rd Div (695 Unit) |
| EDUCATION: | Normal College - 2 yrs |
| OCCUPATION: | Officer Worker |
| PLACE OF CAPTURE: | HWASAN-NI |
| DATE OF CAPTURE: | 17 Oct 50 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH: | HAMGYONG NAM DO, CHONG PYONG-GUN, CHANGWON-MYON, SASU-RI #569 (咸南定平郡長原面四洙里五六九) |
| HOME ADDRESS: | PYONGAN NAMDO, PYONGYANG-SI TONG-GU TONGDAE WON-NI #571 (平安南道平壤市東區大院里 571) |
| INTERROGATOR: | Cpl HAMASU (ATIS) |
Information is considered reliable. Informant was cooperative and gave information without hesitation. Not recommended for further interrogation.
3. TACTICAL INFORMATION:Chronology:
1 Aug 50: Conscripted and commissioned Lt. Was assigned to the former 74th Ind rifle Regt as a finance officer at HAEJU.
12 Sep 50: The 43rd Div was activated with the 74th Regt as its nucleus. At that time, the 74th Regt was redesignated to the 66th and was made the 1st Regt under the new 43rd Div. The code number for the 66th Regt is 556.
8 Oct 50: The 1st, 2nd & 3rd Bns of the 1st Regt were sent to defend the Yesong River. The 1st Bn was routed. The 2nd & 3rd received numerous casualties.
16 Oct 50: The 43rd Div as ordered to retreated from HAEJU to HWANGJU via SARIWON.
17 Oct 50: PW and the rear group arrived in SARIWON. PW and 5 other officers were captured.
Unit Organization & Strength:
The 1st Regt (66th) was made up of 2571 men. The 43rd Div comprised the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Inf Regts, one artillery Regt and one Tank Regt, however there were no men in the Tank Regt. There were 5 Ind Bns attached to the Division.
Last Known Composition of Unit:
The 1st Regt had 3 Bns and 4 Ind Cos. However when the 1st Regt arrived in SARIWON on 17 Oct 50 there were only 43 men.
Equipment: (original equipment) (43rd Div)
700 sub-MG’s; 15 x 45 mm Arty; 12 x 76 mm Arty; 12 x 82 mm Arty; 3 AA MG’sl 2 x 120 mm Arty; 2 x 122 mm Arty; and 5 trucks.
Disposition:
The Div Hq was located in HAEJU. Destination of retreating troops on 17 Oct 50 was HWANGJU, however, on way to HWANGJU in the vicinity of SARIWON, the 43rd Div was routed & completely disorganized.
Personalities:
43rd Div Comdr - O, Chin U, Maj Gen. Formerly of Manchurian Guerrilla Unit, with KIM, Il Song (金日成).
1st Inf Regt CO - LEE, Too Ik, Col. Formerly an instructor at Pyongyang OTS, who attended the Military Academy in Moscow.
1st Regt Political Officer - PAK, Chung Song, Lt Col. Formerly, Political Instructor at Pyongyang OTS.
1st Regt Staff Officer - CHO, Ki Do, Maj.
1st Regt Rear Officer - KIM, Chang Yong, Lt Col.
Morale & Propaganda:
Morale of unit, which was high wen their comrades were advancing, became very low when the tide changed. Propaganda leaflets were doubted at first because the NK counter-propaganda stated that the individual’s life would be endangered if he should surrender.
4. GENERAL:Foreign Elements:
1st Aug - 11 Sep 50 - In HAEJU, in the 74th Regt CP, PW saw 3 Russian Advisors, all Lt cols (2 meduim stars). They wore field uniforms. They chiefly spoke with Regt’l CO and Chief of Staff. PW was the three until the 43rd Div was activated on 12 Sep 50.
Finance Officer:
There were only two people in the finance section of the 1st Regt (PW and an enlisted clerk). They were to handle all Regt’l monetary matters, such as paying salaries and procuring various necessities locally.
MONTHLY PAY SCALE FOR NK OFFICERS & ENLISTED MEN (PW’s Unit - 66th Regt, 43 Div)
| Colonel | - 3,500 Won | M/Sgt | - 300 Won |
| Lt Col | - 3,000 〃 | Sr Sgt | - 200 〃 |
| Maj | - 2,500 〃 | Sgt | - 150 〃 |
| Capt | - 1,900 〃 | Jr Sgt | - 100 〃 |
| Sr Lt | - 1,700 〃 | Cpl | - 75 〃 |
| Lt | - 1,400 〃 | Pvt | - 50 〃 |
| Jr Lt | - 1,200 〃 | Rct | - 50 〃 |
Salaries of officers in rear units are 100 Won less than those in front line units. For instance Finance officers of Capt rank are paid 1,800 Won, whereas officers of the same rank in front line units are paid 1,900 won.
Officers must buy clothing & other necessities from their own pay.
Enlisted men who are in a unit which is ordered to battle have a pay increase of 100%. Officers have an increase in pay of 50%.
The finance officer receives the pay of the men in his unit, from the Defense Ministry in PYONGYANG.
The NK soldiers are paid without delay on/about the 25th of each month. If anything occurs that the men are not paid at the specified time, the finance officer is held responsible and is turned over to a Court Martial Board where he must clear himself.
For the Commanding Officer:
GERARD
