포로신문
보/고/서

ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 2440　30 November 1950

FIELD REPORT (IX CORPS LDI - 0162)　12 November 1950

Information herein is considered fairly reliable which, although given willingly, was limited since PW's contact with other units of the 105th Div was slight. It is therefore believed that further interrogation is not recommended.

PW was inducted at P'YONGYANG 15 May 49 into the 105th Armored Div, 208th NCO Tng Regt, Ind Sup Plat. He remained with the 105th Div there until 13 Sep 50, when the Ind Sup Plat, together with 1st Tank Tng Co each from the 1st and 2nd Bns departed for HAMHUNG (CV-7318). The units arrived 16 Oct 50. 13 Sep 50 the PW received his commission as Jr Lt and became the Sup Plat Ldr. 11 Oct 50, the PW left by truck for 208th Regt Hq at P'YONGYANG to obtain salt, rice and tobacco. He arrived 15 Oct 50 and departed the next day on his return trip. 20 Oct 50, he reached CHONGPYONG (CV-6105) where his truck was bombed and destroyed by an enemy aircraft. Escaping uninjured the prisoner arrived back in HAMHUNG on the same day, and heard that his unit had fled to CHONGJU. Thereupon he struck out alone on foot for his home at SUNCHON and arrived at CHASAN-MYON on 7 Nov 50. He surrendered there to the local security unit on the same day.

The 208th NCO Tng Regt was under the 105th Armored Div and was never engaged in combat. As of 16 Oct 50, the Regt was located at P'YONGYANG. The 208th Regt consisted of 3 Tng Bns, an Ind Utility Co of 47 men and an Ind Sup Plat of 37 men. The 1st and 2nd Bns were School Bns, with three student Cos each. Each Co had about 50 men. The 3rd Bn was a maintenance unit of 98 men divided into 2 Co's. Tanks used for training were repaired and kept in operating condition by this Bn. About 500 men were believed to be attached directly to Regt Hq in unknown types of units. Total strength of the 208th Regt was believed to be approx 1,000 men. A student Co from each of the 2 school Bns were trained at HAMHUNG from 16 Sep 50 up untl o/a 15 Oct 50, engaged in actual field tank training. The organization and strength of the 105th Armored Div was unknown.

Food, clothing, ammo, and fuel for the 208th Regt was obtained from the Public Welfare Ministry at P'YONGYANG.

208th Regt was equipped with 14 T-34 tanks and 5 T-70 light tanks. These were all attached to the 3rd Maintenance Bn. When the 2 Tng Cos of the 1st and 2nd Tng Bn were engaged in field training at HAMHUNG (16 Sep - 15 Oct 50) they were supplied with additional T-34 tanks and 6 T-70 light tanks, bringing the total tanks in the Regt to 22 T-34 tanks and 11 T-70 tanks.

All troops of the 208th Regt except those in the 1st and 2nd Tng Bns were equipped with Russian M-1891/30 rifles, and PPSH SMG's, wich the former predominating.

Radio was used for communicating between Regt and Bn Hqs. It was also used for communication between tanks.

The Regt Ind Sup Plat was equipped with 3 Russian tanks. Further information concerning transportation was unknown.

Tank students were trained for a period of 6 months with complete student turn over during each training period. Tank maintenance, operation, gunnery, tactics, etc were studied from books, but field training included only driving. Upon graduation the students were given a rank of Sgt and assigned to the combat armored Regts in the 105th Div. PW heard that the tank training instructors (holding a major's rank) were schooled in the USSR.

Tanks of the 208th Regt were never heard to be sent as replacements for combat losses of the 105th Div after the outbreak of war, since they were old and were needed for training new students.

KIM Ch'ol Won (김힌뎐), 32, Col, CO, 208 Tank Tng Regt, 5 ft 7 in, 145 lbs, mustache, dark complexion, present whereabouts unknown.

YU Byong Su (유몀수), 40, Lt Gen, CG, 105 Armored Div, 5 ft 8 in, 160 lbs, dark complexion, present whereabouts unknown.

For the AC of S, G-2: