ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 2323 21 November 1950
FIELD REPORT (ADVATIS - 1237) 16 November 1950
PERSONAL DETAILS:| PW NAME: | LIANG, Chung Chiang (梁忠强) |
| PW NUMBER: | 63 NK 61586 CCF |
| RANK: | Pvt |
| AGE: | 40 |
| DUTY: | Horse Attendant |
| UNIT: | 42nd Army, 124th Div, 370th Regt, 3rd Mortar Company, 3rd Plat, 8th Sqd. |
| EDUCATION: | None |
| OCCUPATION : | Farmer |
| PLACE OF CAPTURE: | HWANGCHO LYONG (黃草嶺) |
| DATE OF CAPTURE: | 29 Oct 50 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH: | CHINA, KWEICHOU-SHENG, PICHIEH-HSIEN, LAOPOHO, (黃州省 曅街縣 茏澕河) |
| HOME ADDRESS: | Same as above |
| INTERROGATOR: | Lt MONROE |
PW cooperative but lack of education detracted from his ability to clearly express himself. His ability to estimate distance and direction was slight and his powers of observation were negligible.
Reliability - Poor.
CHRONOLOGY:1945 Inducted into Chinese Nationalist Armed Forces (中國中史軍).
1945 Served with Chinese Nationalist Armed Forces in BURMA (緬问)
1946 Returned to KWANGHSI-SHENG (廣西省), CHINA.
1946 - 48 Served with Mortar Company (designation unknown), 148th Regt, 50th Div, Chinese Nationalist New 1st Army.
Oct 48 Captured by Chinese Communist Forces at a point 40 km E of MUKDEN, MANCHURIA.
Due to prior service with Chinese Nationalist forces, PW received no additional training with Chinese Communist Forces. Was immediately assigned to 42nd Army, CCF, and proceeded to northern sector of CHINA as a horse attendant in a pack artillery company, attached to 124th Div, 42nd Army, CCF. While in CHINA, Div Hq was located at WUHAN (武漢). CHINA.
1949 Engaged in combat with Chinese Nationalist Forces.
Mar 50 Proceeded to PEIAN (北安), MANCHURIA. At this time, Hq 42nd Army located at LUNGCHIANG (龍江), MANCHURIA. While at PEIAN, PW's unit participated in farming activities.
Aug 50 Moved to a point 40km North of T’UNGHWA (通化), MANCHURIA. At T’UNGHWA, PW claims that his unit joined, for the first time, the 370th Regt, 124th Div, 42nd Army, CCF at this point.
Oct 50 370th Regt moved to a point 35km East of T’UNGHWA.
22 Oct 50 370th Regt effected a crossing of the YALU River (鴨綠江), at CHIAN (輯安), and. proceeded to KANGGYE (江界), North KOREA. From KANGGYE North KOREA, it advanced South, toward HUICH'ON (熙川 ). From a point approximately 30 kilometers South of KANGGYE, PW is unable to recall the route followed by his unit bub does remember paralleling, at periodic intervals, a railroad line running from KANGGYE to HUICH’ON.
29 Oct 50 Approximately seven (7) days after the crossing of the YALU River, he was captured by ROK forces, in the vicinity of HWANGCHO LYONG.
UNIT ORGANIZATION AND STRENGTH:The 42nd Anny consisted of three (3) Div, each division being sub divided into three (3) regiments. The 2nd and 3rd Mortar Company were attached to the 370th Regiment. The 1st and 2nd Platoons, 3rd Company, were designated as Mortar Platoons. The 3rd Platoon functioned as an ammunition platoon. Each platoon was comprised of three (3) squads, numbered consecutively within the company, PW unable to describe the organizational breakdown of the regular units of the 370th Regiment or render any further clarification of the divisional structure of the 42nd Army.
Strength of units:
Squad - 10 (one Communists, nine former Nationalists)
Platoon - 30 (three Communists, balance ex-Nationalists)
Company - 125
Regiment - 1500 - 2000
Division - 5000 (?)
Army - 18000 ( ? )
EQUIPMENT: (1) 52 horses - 3rd Company. 1st and 2nd Platoons having 6 horses each. 3rd Platoon - 40 horses.
(2) No vehicular Transport.
(3) 4 American made mortars - 82mm (IN: Sic) - with 3rd Company (2 to 1st platoon. 2 to 2nd platoon). 4 Japanese made mountain-guns - 57mm - with 2nd Company.
(4) Only 3 Japanese made 7.5mm rifles assigned to 3rd Company. PW claims these rifles carried by selected personnel for the purpose of maintaining order within the respective platoons.
(5) 2 hand grenades (type unknown) issued to each man.
(6) All ammunition utilized by 2nd and 3rd Companies was US manufactured.
DISPOSITIONS:PW did not, at any time, see any radar installations or any other specialized communication facilities. Unit communication was accomplished by means of runners, two being assigned to each company headquarters. No radio or wire communication observed. He stated that ammunition and ration dumps were located 40km North of T’UNGHWA. It was at this point that ammunition and food were last received - prior to PW's capture on 29 October 50.
PERSONALITIES:Company Commander - CHIANG YUAN YU (蔣元有) Rank - Unknown
Officers distinguished by red stripes long seams of blouses and trousers.
PW has not observed any Russian advisors either in MANCHURIA or North KOREA.
MORALE:PW's morale and that of his unit, at time of capture, was "very low". Low morale was attributed to insufficient food and poor quality of that which was received, fatigue induced by long, marches and no rest, and fear of UN aircraft. Although creating considerable fear, UN aircraft attacks produced only one casualty within PW's unit (platoon leader was killed), Causative factors mentioned above combined to create a lack of desire for fighting.
When questioned as to the reason for Chinese Communist intervention in the Korean War, PW stated that his company commander delivered several lectures, the objective of which was to convince Chinese personnel that unless they marched into KOREA and fought the UN forces, the U. S. and ROK armies would "attack the homeland".
Low pay, approximately 70,000 yuan, contributed to low morale.
For the Commanding Officer:
SHAPPELL
