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보/고/서

ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 2543　6 December 1950

FIELD REPORT (Ⅸ CORPS LDI - 0148)　8 November 1950

Prisoner was cooperative and willing to give information considered fairly reliable. However, information was of a general nature.

Prisoner was inducted at HOERYONG (會寧) 20 Jan 49 into the Youth Military training center and trained until o/a 20 Mar 49 when he was transferred to P’YONGYANG Military Academy arriving on or about 22 Mar. After 6 months he graduated as a Jr Lt on 26 Sep 49. 27 Sep he departed and returned to HOERYONG where he was a student platoon leader of the 3rd Military Academy there. This academy enlisted youth from 18 to 20 yrs of age and was designated the 766 unit. He remained student platoon leader until 10 Jan 50 when he was transferred to PIYONGYANG. There he was assigned to the NK Army Hq as a casual until 15 Jul 50 when he was sent to CHINNAMP’O and assigned to the 72nd Ind Inf Regt as Adjutant to the 2nd Bn Hq and promoted to Sr Lt. 72nd Ind Inf Regt (approx 2000 men) having been recently organized was engaged in combat training and 10 Aug 50 their 2nd Bn (670 men) departed CHINNAMP’O for CHONAN. It arrived there 17 Aug 50 via PYONGYANG and SEOUL travelling by rail. From CHONAN it marched to NAMPYONG (CPO389) via TAEJON NONSAN, CHONJU CHONGUP (CQ0637) and KWANGJU and arrived at NAMPYONG (CP0389) o/a 10 Sep. It was stationed here until o/a 17 Sep when it forced marched night and day via SAGA RI (CQ0122), CHONGUP, KUMJE (CQ0863) to IMPA (CQ0683) arriving o/a 20 Sop. On 24 Sep the Bn moved to KABJONG MYON (BQ9684) and departed for CHONJU on 28 Sep. On the same day while enroute the Bn met a spearhead of an enemy at SAMNYE RI (CQ2775) where the Bn scattered. PW and 350 men regrouped at UIJANG Mt (CQ5374) 3 Oct. On 8 Oct the group departed UIJANG Mt by Ht trails and headed N toward CHUNCH’ON (CS8893) to await further orders. On 10 oct they reached PAEKHA Mt (CQ8291) and were attacked by an enemy unit. During the attack the PW and 8 others became separated from the group and continued to a point approx 8 kms W of KWANGIRI (CR9433) where the group surrendered to the ROK unit on 18 Oct.

O/a 10 Sop 50 at NAPYONG PW heard from his Bn Comdr that there were approx 100 men killed and wounded from air attacks in the 72 Ind Inf Regt as of that date approx 30 men of the 2nd Bn were killed or wounded in a train wreck at the PONGDONG RR Sta (BT8803) located approx 4 kms SW of KAESONG RR Sta.

PWs group consisted of approx 350 men when it arrived at PAEKHA Mt o/a 10 Oct 50. The group was armed with approx 200 M1891/30 rifles with 50-60 rds per rifle, 3 PPsh M1943 SMGs with 100 rds each, 10 “DEGTYAREV” LMGS with 50-60 rds each and 17 PPsh M 1941 SMGs with approx 100 rds ea.

PAEKHA Mt from 3-8 Oct PW saw approx 3,000 NKs headed N in groups of 50-300, armed mostly with M1891 rifles and a few (2-6) SMG’s. PW heard from officers belonging to these groups that these 3000 men were members of the 103rd, 104th and 105th Security Regts who took orders from tho NAMHAE Brig whose duty was to guard SW Korean coast from KUNSAN to POSONG (CP2548). PW also states that the 2nd Bn, 72nd Ind Inf Regt and the 102nd Security Rogt at KUNSAN also received orders from the Brig. The NAMHAE was commanded by Maj General LEE Chong Son (李靑松) with Hg in KWANGJU. Whereabouts of Gen LEE was unknown.

The objective of PW’s unit was to assemble with all other units of the NK Arny at CHUNCH’ON retreating via the SOBAEK and TAEBAEK Mt ranges. PW believes that no NK units had intentions of waging guerrilla warfare.

Rice originally belonging to PWs unit and rice seized from local villages provided most of the rations for PWs unit in retreat. Other food (such as Soybean paste) was paid for with whatever money was available.

PW states that men in his group and other groups discarded their weapons on Mt trails to lighten their burden.

A 45mm AT Gun was left in the court of the KAEJONG MYON Hospital at KAEJONG MYON by 2nd Bn, 72nd Ind Inf Rogt on 28 Sep.

At times villagers voluntarily guided PWs unit to the next village and other times guides were hired some where even taken along by force.

72nd Ind Inf Regt Comdr KIM Yong Son, Col, age 28, 5 ft 6 in, 132 lbs. White hair on sideburns, light complexion.

72nd Ind Inf Regt Hq C/S SO Kwan Sulk, Maj, 27, 5 ft 8 in, 150 lbs. Slender, soft spoken.

PW believes that these two men have fled towards the SOBAEK Mt range.

PW believes the best method to expedite surrender of NK troops holding out is to send captured NKs (High ranking Officers, if possible) into their hideout under supervision of UN troops and convince them that they will not be shot or harmed if they surrendered. PW states that S Korean Communists (Labor leaders and Village masters) who fled along with them into the Mts told the NK troops that capture meant receiving brutal treatment and that NK PWs were eventually killed. This together with what the officers told them played a major role in convincing the troops that it was better to live a little longer and try to escape to N KOREA or if they must die, to fight to the last. Most of the NK troops were recent conscripts who were untrained and ignorant and who are apt to believe anything that their superiors tel them.

72nd Ind Inf Regt consisted of approx 3,000 mon. It consisted of 4 Ind Companies: 45mm AT Gun, 120mm Mortar, 76mm Gun, Signal, and 3 Ind Platoons: Recon, Engr and AA Machine Gun; and 3 rifle Bns approx 690 men each. Under each Bn were 2 Ind companies, 82mm Mortar - 70 men and HMG - 70 men and 5 Ind platoons, 45mm AT gun - 14 men, Signal - 15 men, Supply - 12 to 13 men, AT rifle 6 to 9 men and Medic 7 men. Each Company was organized into 4 platoons: one HMG and 3 Rifle.

Weapons - All men were equipped with Russ M1891/30 rifles. The 76mm Gun co under Regt had 3 guns. 120mm Mortar Co actually possessed no weapons. Amount of guns possessed by 45mm Gun Co under Regt was unknown. The 82mm Mortar Ind Cos under Bn had 9 Mortars each with 3 guns to each of the 3 platoons. The Ind HMG CoS under Bns had l2 MAXIM HMGs each, with 4 guns in each of the 3 plats. The HMG gun platoons under the rifle Cos had 2 MAXIM HMGs ea. The Independent AT rifle platoon under Bn had 2 SININOV AT rifles each. The Ind 45mm AT gun platoons had 2 guns each pulled by trucks. The AA Machine Gun Ind Platoon had 3 AA Guns.

Signal - Telephones were used for liaison between Bns and Cos. Radio was used to contact Regt Hq from Bn.

Transportation - The 2nd Bn of the 72nd Regt had one 2½ ton truck.

The Hqs of the 72nd Ind Inf Regt was looatod at KWANGJU from o/a 10 to 28 Sep 50. The 1st Bn was stationed at MOKP’O from o/a 20 to 28 Sep. The 3rd Bn was stationed at KWANGJU with the Regt Hq from o/a, 13 Sep to 28 Sep. It is believed that all elements of this regt became scattered o/a 28 Sep to unknown places while some took the UIJANG to PAEKHA Mt route N to TAEBAEK.

Nearly all troops were believed to have been given about 4 weeks basic training at CHINNAMP’O during Jul 50. Target practice included firing 3 rds of live ammo at a 1 meter diameter circular target at 100 meters. The target was divided into 10 concentric circles with 2 cm between each circle, Marksmanship ratings were determined by the three rounds. Troops were given instructions on the automatic weapons but they were never actually fired. Troops engaged in training only after dark due to enemy air attacks.

For the AC of S, G-2: