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보/고/서

ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 2332　22 November 1950

FIELD REPORT (521 - MISD - 0258)　19 November 1950

PW was cooperative and talked very freely, He was fairly observant, intelligent and remembered dates well. Due to his short period in service further information was unknown.

Reliability: Good

Length of Services 2 mos

Education: 6 yrs Japanese Primary School

3 yrs Korean Primary School

2 yrs Middle School

Physical Condition: Good

Age: 17

o/a 6 Sep 50 - Inducted at HARBIN (哈豳), MANCHURIA and assigned to 42nd Army along with 300 other Koreans, living in MANCHURIA.

o/a 8 Sep 50 - With above 300 departed HARBIN. by train and arrived TUNGHUA (通化), MANCHURIA.

o/a 9 Sep 50 - With same 300 registered in 42nd Army by 42nd Army HQs at TUNGHUA.

15 Sep 50 - 28 Sep 50 - With above 300 and 200 other Koreans inducted in HOIRUN ZAN (黑龍江) Province, received political education and orientation on the situation in KOREA.

Training in arms and tactics was not given.

Instructors were military political leaders.

3 Oct 50 - With 120 of above 500 PW was assigned to the 124th Div of the 42nd Army.

4 Oct 50 - 6 Oct 50 - Former members of Communist and Democratic Parties were separated and assigned as Bn, Co, Plat and Sqd leaders of the 124th Div.

7 Oct 50 - PW with 30 others from the 120 who had accompanied him were assigned to 371st Regt of 124th Div and were given a Chinese language fluency examination.

The remainder (90 men) were assigned either to the 124th Div HQs, the 370th, or the 372nd Regt of 124th Div.

As a result of the examination 10 men, who were fluent in Chinese, were retained in 371st Regt'l HQs, and the others were assigned within the regiment.

13 Oct 50 - Assigned to the lat Co of the 1st Bn,

16 Oct 50 - The 42nd Army moved from TUNGHUA to CHIAN (輯安), MANCHURIA by train.

19 Oct 50 - The 42nd Army departed CHIAN on foot. The 371st Regt crossed the YALU River, Information of other elements at this time unknown.

25 Oct 50 - The 371st Re gt arrived at HAGARU RI (下碣隅里). Location of other units of 42nd, Army was unknown.

28 Oct 50 - The 371st Regt departed HAGARU RI on foot.

29 Oct 50 - The Regt arrived at a high mountain approx 70 road km NE of HAGARU RI.

31 Oct 50 - The Regt departed this area anti returned to HAGARU RI, arriving on 1 Nov 50.

3 Nov 50 - At approx 1600 hrs the 371st Regt departed HAGARU RI and advanced southward toward HWAN CHO RYON (黃草嶺). At approx 2200 hrs the Regt encountered a strong US Army force and fought for 2 hrs. The main body of the regiment retreated northward. PW remained and was captured,

(Obs - 19 Oct 50)

While training at TUNGHUA (通化), PW heard from instructors that the total strength of the 42nd Army was approx 50,000. Strength of 124th Div was unknown, but strength of 371st Regt was estimated at 2,500, and strength of the 1st Bn was 700. The 2nd and 3nd Bns were believed similar in organization and strength to 1st Bn.

The 1st Bn consisted of 3 Inf Cos and 1 Heavy Weapons Company. The 1st Co was composed of 3 rifle Plat. (Each Plat consisted of 36 men armed with 2/7.62mm DP LMGs, 30/6.5mm Meiji 38 rifles, and one pistol) and one mortar Plat (30 men armed with 3/60mm Japanese made mortars).

The HMG and FA Co of the 1st Bn was composed of 4 Plats (Each Platoonsisted of approx 35 men). (Armed with one 120mm Regt'l mortar and one HMG of unknown type.)

Supply route used by the 371st Regt prior to 3 Nove 50 was believed to be the road leading through CHIAN (輯安), KANGGYE (江界), CHANGJIN (長津), and HAGARU RI (下碣隅里). The rail road was not used.

After the 1st Bn of 371st Regt arrived in HAGARU RI food became scarce. When the 42nd Army departed TUNGHUA the ammo supply consisted of 53 rds of ammo and 3 grenades to each man and 30 mortar shells for each mortar. There was no resupply of ammunition after the Regt entered KOREA.

While in TUNGHUA PW observed approx 20/76mm field guns (M 1942 ZIS 3) which belonged to the 42nd Army, but these pieces were not observed when the Army moved to CHIAN (輯安), MANCHURIA.

PW heard from another PW, after being captured that other elements of the 124th Div had been engaged along with the 371st Regt (This other PW's unit designation unknown. Designation of these other elements unknown.) in this encounter near HWANCHO RYON (黃草嶺), and that the total casualties of the Div numbered about 200.

Morale was low due to shortages of food and ammunition and inferiority of rifles compared to rifle of UN troops.

While PW was in TUNGHUA (通化), MANCHURIA between 15 Sep 50 to 28 Sep 50 approx 500 Korean, most of them born in MANCHURIA were observed serving with the 42nd Army. They were used mainly as interpreters.

There was frequent friction between the Chinese and these Koreans due to misunderstandings caused by language differences.

Officers (Plat leaders and above) of the 42nd Army wore red stripes, (1) (around collar) (2) (on both sleeves) and (3) (on outside seams of trousers).

These officers' ranks were determined by duty assignment and they were addressed as "Sqd Leader", "Regimental Commander", etc.

Those in command superior to Sqd leaders were saluted, not as a greeting, but when the soldiers were spoken to or when the soldiers were given orders. Soldiers were addressed as "Comrade" very rarely. They were called by name.

PW formerly felt there was very little distinction between the leaders and the men. They ate together, but the leaders slept separately from the men. The Bn Commander and the assistant Bn Commander had horses, and received special privileges such as orderlies, having their food served to them, etc.

Despite the above, PW felt there was more equality in his army than in armies of other countries.

Punishment for failure to obey ordinary orders was severe and administered by "Shido in" (指道員). The were two of these in each Co.

Punishment consisted of lectures. (Source considered this severe punishment.) Grave offenses (rape, desertion, etc) were not committed as far as source knows, Generally orders were obeyed without question.

The "Shido in" were strong Communists and in addition to lecturing offenders gave political speeches to the troops. The morale of the troops was largely dependent on these political speeches. Soldiers were taught to fight for the under privileged against the capitalist, that dying in this cause was most commendable. There was no friction between PW's Co Commander (who was not a Communist) and the "Shido In". "Shido In" had no command function.

While in MAMCHURIA source was taught that the American Forces in KOREA were a political force bent on aggression; that all Americans had a full belly and lived off the fat of the land; and that the American Army employed force in administering discipline among its troops. He believed all this to be true.

Since his capture he has changed his mind completely. He is glad he is alive, does not think he is treated too badly, thinks the North Korean Army is the one with the full belly, and that there is much equality between the ranks in the American Army.

Source is a Korean and he does not like the Chinese, mainly because through them he was taught to believe things that he has since learned are not true and he can not admire the many soldiers now with the CCF who were formerly with CHIANG Kai Shek.

All CCF troops have been interned separately from the NKA troops. When offered the opportunity to be interned with NKA prisoners, he declined because he states an American soldier made a roster of those desiring to go to FORMCSA to join CHIANG Kai Shek from among the CCF prisoners and he has volunteered along with all the rest.

He is completely renouncing what he was taught to believe before and accepting what he has learned through his experiences as the true very of life. He would like to ally himself with the UN Forces in doing away with Communism either by fighting for CHIANG Kai Shek, or by attempting to change the ideas of others like himself who were exposed to only one political and economic view point.

He especially resents a group called the New Democratic Youth Party, a Communist Party group, which was a dominant factor in his school’s affairs and who exerted undue pressure in infringing upon the freedom and rights of others who did not belong.

Manchurians living in localities formerly occupied by Chinese Nationalists resent, CCF because the CNF moves with its own supply, while CCF forages for food in these areas.

For the AC of S, G-2: