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보/고/서

ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO: 2428

The following information was obtained from a group of 21 recovered American Military personnel who were interrogated upon their arrival in JAPAN by Central Interrogation Center, ATIS. Interrogation were conducted at the 141st Station Hospital by Lts. NUNLEY and GARRETT.

Information possessed by these men is as follow:

Shortly after capture all prisoners were interrogated by the Chinese. They were required to fill out a short routine questionnaire and were asked various questions such as how Americans feel toward new and old CHINA and the opinions of the American people in regard to the Far East and the Korean situation. They were asked about their previous occupations, size of their families, and the financial condition of their families. Along the military line prisoners were asked about Army Tables of Organization, number and type of weapons, and tactical set-up within company, battalion, and regiment. Prisoners were asked how long they had been in JAPAN, how they came to JAPAN, when and how they came to KOREA, whether they wanted to come, why Americans are fighting in KOREA, and how many battles they had engaged in.

M/Sgt CLECKNER was a member of a group of 27 wounded prisoners who were voluntarily returned by the Chinese to YONGBYON from PYOKTONG on the Manchurian border where they had been held. The interpreter told the prisoners that they were releasing them because they had no quarrel with the NCO's and men of the American Army, but were fighting against capitalistic aggression.

Although the Chinese treated the wounded American prisoners they were very short on medical supplies.

While at PYOKYONG, source was given a book title “People of China” and requested to read it.

Shortly after source was captured at UNSAN, he was given first-aid by a Chinese medical aidman. The aidman did not wear the red cross emblem and was not armed. Source along with 37 other prisoners was moved to PYOKTONG where he was interrogated twice. The first interrogation lasted about twenty minutes and the second one about thirty minutes. Routine questions were asked. Interrogators were Chinese officers and one Chinese girl. All spoke fluent English. Interrogators told the source that they had six divisions in NORTH KOREA and 205,000 troops on the Manchurian border. Interrogators readily admitted superiority of American weapons and equipment but told source that CHINA had enough reserve manpower to overcome this superiority.

Source did not observe many Chinese in PYOKTONG.

Source stated that there was friction between the North Korean soldiers and the Chinese Communist soldiers. As a rule, discipline of the CCF was excellent.

The Chinese had very little motor transportation. Most of what they had was American made. Pack-animals (horses and mules) were used extensively for carrying supplies.

Bugles were used to maintain control of units during the attack. Contact between units was also maintained by bugles.

Source was given food and medical treatment shortly after being captured at UNSAN on 4 Nov 50. He reports that the medical aidman who treated the wounded Americans did a very good job and had evidently been well trained. On the night of the 4th, while being moved to the rear, source reports that there was a very heavy concentration of Chinese troops north of UNSAN. He estimated the size of the unit as a division and stated that it was moving south. He also observed some mounted cavalry.

Source's group of 38 wounded was moved to PYOKTONG by truck where they were kept in civilian houses. Chinese told the prisoners that the reason they did not take them across the river into MANCHURIA was that the ferry was out.

Air Force bombing of PYOKTONG was quite accurate. Chinese told the prisoners that one of the reasons they were short on medical supplies was that the Air Force had knocked out their medical supply depot. They also claimed that the Air Force had bombed the Manchuria border more than twenty times.

Prisoner was interrogated twice. Interrogators were Chinese Communist officers, one woman and a North Korean major.

According to source, Chinese Communist officers do not wear rank insignia. They are distinguished only by a red V on their sleeves and a red stripe down the side of their trousers.

Source states that most of the CCF equipment was American made. He observed quite a few trucks and jeeps. Each truck carried two drums of extra gasoline. He observed no tanks or artillery but saw both 120mm and 60mm mortars.

Source states that discipline in the CCF was far better than in the North Korean Army.

Interrogators told WILLSON that the Chinese Communists have five million troops in MANCHURIA and could increase this figure to ten million.

Chinese permitted a captured Catholic Chaplain (N/U) to hold services for the prisoners at PYOKTONG.

The prisoners' guard at PYOKTONG always removed the ammunition from his rifle while on duty and kept it in his pocket. Source could give no valid reason for this.

Chinese were particularly interested in British troops and asked prisoners about the disposition of the British troops serving with the UN. They also were interested in Japanese.

Interrogators did not carry arms.

According to the interrogators, the North Korean government was under the control of the Chinese troop commander, a General “SUNG”. General “SUNG” was said to have been in the Chinese Nationalist Army at one time. He has been assigned the task of unifying KOREA (hearsay).

Chinese seemed to be well informed on UN troop movements, ammo and food supply, and order of battle.

Chinese utilized NK civilians as laborers. Civilians appeared to cooperate with them.

Prisoners were given two meals a day. Morning meal was from six to eight o'clock and the evening meal was at six except when there was a lot of air activity. On those days the evening meal was around eight o'clock.

While at PYOKTONG, prisoners were supposedly under North Korean control, but all the prisoners report that the North Koreans took orders from the Chinese. A Major HAN and a Major YONG were the senior NK officers.

The Chinese soldiers utilized natural camouflage to a great extent. Soldiers wore a woven ring about three feet in diameter, camouflaged, so that they could not be seen when kneeling or sitting.

Units up to companies were relieved each day, presumably in order to always have fresh troops in the line.

There was at least one interpreter per company who would, each day, teach the men a few words of English. One phrase was “Hey, GI! Hold your fire!”

The Chinese did not have much motor transportation. They did have a few American trucks and many mules.

The numerals 20L120 were written on the truck which returned the prisoners to YONGBYON.

All of the men were interrogated at least once. Questions included political leanings, religion, number of persons in their family, social standing, father's work, etc. Interrogators were especially interested in the pay of our soldiers and the difference in rank.

The Chinese told the prisoners that they came to KOREA to help liberate the Korean people from capitalistic aggression and because US planes had bombed parts of MANCHURIA. They stated that RUSSIA and NORTH KOREA were the only friends of the Chinese.

For the CO, TIS: