ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 2522 5 December 1950
FIELD REPORT (ADVATIS - 1241) 28 November 1950
1. PERSONAL DETAILS:| PW NAME: | KWEI, Sheng Ta (柱聖大) |
| PW NUMBER: | None. Interrogation conducted at 14th Field Hospital |
| RANK: | Pvt ( ) |
| AGE: | 26 |
| DUTY: | Infantryman |
| UNIT: | 39th Army, 1st Bn, 3rd Co, 3rd Plat, 8th Sqd (Div and Regt unk) |
| EDUCATION: | None |
| OCCUPATION: | Farmer |
| PLACE OF CAPTURE: | KUJUNG-NI (KALCHUNG-NI) (舊中里) |
| DATE OF CAPTURE: | 5 Nov 50 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH: | CHINA, KWANGHSIA-HSIEN, PATAHSIA, TISANPAO (中國 廣峡縣 八塔下 第三包) |
| HOME ADDRESS: | Same as above |
| INTERROGATOR: | Lt MONROE |
PW suffering from severe leg injury, Memory, poor. Observation, poor. Reliability, poor.
3. CHRONOLOGY:2 Jan 48: Inducted into Chinese Nationalist Army at HANKOU (潢口). Assigned to 33rd Army, 33rd Div, 17th Regt, 1st Rn, 1st Plat (Ind Guard Plat), 3rd Sqd.
Oct 49: Captured by CCF, 8th Route Army, while serving in SHUANGTZU-HSTEN (双字縣), KWANGHSI (廣西) Province, CHINA.
Nov 49: Assigned to CCF, 39th Army, 1st Bn, 3rd Co, 3rd Plat, 8th Sqd.
Nov 49 - Jan 50: With CCF Unit in HUNAN (湖南) Province, CHINA.
Feb 50 - May 50: At MUKDEN, MANCHURIA.
May 50 - Jul 50: Unit training.
o/a 13 Oct 50: Proceeded, by rail, through PENCHIHU (本溪湖), MANCHURIA FENGCHENG (豊)城, MANCHURIA to ANTUNG (安東), MANCHURIA.
o/a 16 Oct 50: 1st Independent Bn crossed the YALU River and entered SINUIJU.
o/a 17 Oct 50: Entered and departed SINUIJU. Objective unknown. Proceeded, by foot, SE. PW recalls advancing SE for a period of twenty (20) days; rate of march for the 1st and 2nd days - 40 km per day; rate of march from 3rd to 20th day, unknown. Unable to recall names of North Korean villages or towns. The 20th day (5 Nov 05) marked the first contact of PW’s unit with UN Forces.
5 Nov 50: PW captured.
4. ORGANIZATION:PW does not know organization of higher echelon of 39th Army, CCF.
The Sqds were subdivided into three sections each.
5. STRENGTH:1. Personnel:
| Bn | 800 | Composed of 70% Chinese Communists and 30% former Nationalists. Majority of the troops were not seasoned. |
| Co | 200 | |
| Plat | 38 | |
| Sqd | 12 | |
| Sub Sqd | 3 |
2. Weapons:
Pistols - 4 per Co
Rifles (7.5mm - China & Jap Manuf) - 162 per Co
Hand Grenades (U.S. & China Manuf) - 3 per man
LMG - 6 per Bn
HMG - 3 per Bn
Bazookas (U.S. Manuf) - 2 per Bn
Mortars (82mm - U.S. & China Manuf) - 2 per Bn (60mm - U.S. & China Manuf) - 3 per Bn
Carbines (U.S. Manuf) - 27 per Co (none in Hvy Wons Co) - 81 per Bn
Bulk of weapons consisted of those captured from the Chinese Nationalists. No USSR manufactured weapons were observed.
6. TACTICAL EMPLOYMENT OF WEAPONS:During combat, the 82mm Mortar platoon and the bazooka platoon, Heavy weapon company, were combined and assigned to Battalion Headquarters. The two (2) heavy machine gun platoons, heavy weapons company, supported the 3rd company - one (1) assigned to each platoon.
7. EQUIPMENT:No vehicular transport.
4th Plat Hvy weapons Co - designated as the mortar and ammunition platoon. Utilized horses (4) to transport weapons and ammunition. No ammunition squad as such, organic to the heavy weapons platoons of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd companies. All platoons, with exception of those of the Hvy weapons Co, carried their own ammo and weapons during tactical movements.
No anti-tank weapons or land mines issued to PW’s unit. No tanks observed either in MANCHURIA or in KOREA.
8. SUPPLIES:150 rounds rifle ammunition per man issued at MUKDEN, prior to departure for ANTUNG (安東). No additional ammo supplies had been received by PW’s unit to the time of his capture. Clothing (winter) issued at MUKDEN. No system was provided for future supply of ammo. At SINUIJU, unit received three days of rations. While enroute from SINUIJU, additional rations were pro cured locally. PW observed his company commander using a “card” upon which were written the names and addresses of the farmers from whom provisions were procured.
9. COMMUNICATIONS:Bn Hq maintained telephone communication with Regiment. Inter-company communication effected through the use of runners (3 to each company). Each platoon leader carried red flares but PW could not define their use,
10. MORALE:Since the majority of the personnel (70%) within PW’s unit were ardent communists and displayed a willingness to fight, the morale of his unit, generally speaking, was fair. However, 30% of PW’s unit, being former Nationalists, were not interested in warfare.
Insufficiency of food and clothing lowered unit morale. PW did not know he was in KOREA until told by a farmer. At no time, since his entry into the CCF, has the PW received ideological indoctrination.
11. TRAINING:May - Jul 50: At MUKDEN, MANCHURIA, PW’s unit followed the following training schedule:
0600 - Reveille
0630 - Breakfast
0700 - 1100 - Area activities - no training.
1200 - Dinner
1300 - 1800 Basic Training
1800 - 1900 - Supper
2000 - Taps
For the Commanding Officer:
SHAPPELL
