ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 2658 9 November 1950
FIELD REPORT (164 - MISDI - 1236) 20 November 1950
1. PERSONAL DETAILS:| PW NAME: | YANG, Wen Cheng (楊文成) (Chinese) |
| RANK: | Pvt |
| ORGN: | 4th Field Army, 39th Army, 117th Div, 318th Regt, 2nd Bn, 6th Co, 3rd Plat, 3rd Sqd (第四野戰士 三九軍 一一七師 三一八団 二營 六連 三排) |
| DUTIES: | Rifleman |
| EDUCATION: | None |
| AGE: | 38 |
| OCCUPATION: | Farmer |
| ADDRESS: | HSIAN SHENG (SHENSI PROVINCE) HAN-CHlUNG FU, PAO-CHENG HSIEN, CHIN CHUAN HSIANG TANG - JIH - HSIA, No. 2 (西安省 漢中府 堡城縣 金全鄕 溩日下 二号) |
| DATE & PLACE OF CAPTURE: | 161000 I Nov 50 in vicinity of YE 2406 |
| INTERROGATOR: | W.T.O. |
PW was very cooperative and was fairly familiar with military matters. The PW has about 7 yrs of military service, and despite the fact that he has had no schooling, he was able to provide information far surpassing what could have been expected. PW is observant and has much common sense. Info seems very reliable.
3. T/O & E AND STRENGTH OF UNIT:4th Field Army was composed of the 38th, 39th and the 40th Armies.
39th Army was composed of the 114th, 115th, 116th and 117th Rifle Divisions.
117th Rifle Division was composed of the 316th, 317th and the 318th Rifle Regiments.
318th Rifle Regiment was composed of 3 Rifle Battalions and Signal Plat.
Each rifle battalion was composed of 3 rifle companies, HMG Company, and Medical Section (20 men).
Each rifle company was composed of 3 rifle platoons and mortar platoon.
Each rifle platoon was composed of 3 rifle squads.
4th Platoon:
Personnel: Officer and 30 EM.
Equipment and ammo: 3 LMGs (Canadian), 3 Rifle (Chinese)
Approx 15 men of this platoon were unarmed.
6th Company:
Personnel: 11 officers and 140 EM.
Equipment and ammo: 3 x 60mm Mortar (Chinese), 9 LMGs (Canadian), 18 Carbines (US) (120 rds each), 6 German Mausers (rds unk).
2nd Battalion:
Personnel: Aoprox 600 officers and EM.
Equipment and ammo: 2 Flame thrower (US), 6 HMGs (US), 4 x 82mm Mortars (Chinese), 1 Telephone.
HMG Company:
Personnel: Strength unk.
Equipment and ammo: 6 HMGs (US), 6 Rifles (Chinese).
Mortar Platoon:
Personnel: Strength unk.
Equipment and ammo: 4 x 82mm Mortars (Chinese), 4 Rifles (Chinese).
On 27th Oct 50 at LIAOYANG (遼陽) MANCHURIA, prior to coming to KOREA, the PW's Company commander introduced a Korean named MA (Fnu) to his men and stated that he was to be employed by the company as an interpreter. He was said to have arrived from North KOREA, and was dressed in civilian clothes. Each company was assigned a Korean interpreter. This interpreter was last seen in the vicinity of YONSAN with the 6th Company, when the PW deserted his unit.
Whether or not the interpreters were NKA soldiers could not be determined.
PW's unit is under the same chain of command as it was prior to crossing the YALU River.
Strength of unit: 117th Division - 8,000
39th Army - 30,000
No parts of PW's unit have been integrated into Korean units.
The PW heard that an artillery battalion. (8 x unk sized guns) had come to KOREA with the 117th Div. No details are available.
4. LOCATION & ACTIVITIES OF UNITS:The entire 117th Division was located in YONSAN (YE 0305), approx 7.5 km SE of the town. The Division arrived here o/a Nov 50 and has been engaged in constructing foxholes and defensive positions - on the main road. The PW claims that although he believed the 117th Div to have mines, there was no mine-laying activity; the same is true of barbed wire. The Division has not been in battle since arriving in KOREA, No other activities beside defense position construction was noted. It was heard from the troops who had heard the 4th Company commander state that the 117th Division v1as to remain in this area in defensive positions, to engage the UN Forces when they advance. The remaining divisions of the 39th Army were believed to be in the same positions, somewhere in the general area.
The 40th Army was located approx 7 km to the east of the 39th Army and was believed to be in similar positions. No. details were available.
A NK unit of unknown strength was located approx 2! km west of the 39th Army. No details were available.
To his estimation, the PW believes that defensive warfare will be carried out by the communist. troops in this area.
5. PERSONAL & UNIT HISTORY:PW was inducted into the CNA on 14 Dec 44 at PAO-CHENG HSIEN (褒城縣).
He received 6 months training and was assigned to the 17th Army, 26th Division.
He remained with this unit until captured by the CCF at KWANGSI-SHENG (廣西省) in Jan 50.
PW was assigned to the present CCF unit in Jan 50 at KWANGSI-SHENG.
39th Army departed from KWANGSI-SHENG on 14 Feb 50 and arrived at HUNAN (湖南) on 20 April 50. It constructed defense positions until the time it departed. The unit departed HUNAN on 5 Aug 50 and arrived at HONAN (河南) on 6 Aug 50 by train and arrived at LIAOYANG (遼陽), MANCHURIA on 3 Sep 50. Orders for the 39th Army to proceed to KOREA were received here.
39th Army departed LIAOYANG by train on d/u Oct 50, and arrived at ANTUNG 2 cays later. No dates known.
39th Army marched from ANTUNG during the night and crossed a steel bridge over the YALU River o/a 250100 Oct 50.
It proceeded towards YONSAN (YE 0305) and arrived there 8 days after departing ANTUNG.
After reading a leaflet dropped by a plane, the PW deserted his unit 160400 Nov 50 in the vicinity of YON SAN.
39th Army was at LIAOYANG, MANCHURIA, before departing for KOREA.
Entire 39th Army came to KOREA.
It was heard from some troops in ANTUNG that the 38th, 39th and the 40th Armies, numbering 90,000 men were to be committed in the Korean war.
PW did not participate in the invasion of HAINAN Island.
6. PERSONALITIES:HO, (Fnu) (何), CO, 318th Regiment.
HWANG, Ta Hsueh (黃大学), Bn Co, 2nd Bn, 318th Regt.
TSAI, Chou (蔡?周), Co CO, 6th Co, 2nd Bn, 318th Regt.
TANG, Cheng Tung (党成東), Plat Commander, 4th Plat, 6th Co, 2nd Bn, 318th Regt.
All officers wore red piping on their sleeves and collars. No rank insignias worn.
7. ARMOR & ARTILLERY:PW heard of an artillery battalion (8 unk - sized guns) being assigned to the 117th Division. None were observed.
No armored vehicles or tanks were observed by the PW.
8. FOOD & AMMO SUPPLIES:Each soldier brought 5 days supply of food from ANTUNG. When this was consumed, food was acquired from the nearby villages, using "meal tickets" signed by the Company commander. These "tickets" were distributed among the men. The monetary value or compensation value of these "meal tickets" were unknown.
No food supplies were seen being transported from the rear.
No ammo was received after they had received their initial issue in HONAN o/a 3 Aug 50.
No ammo was seen being transported from the rear.
9. SIGNAL COMMUNICATION:Runners were employed between companies as means of communication.
Battalions were equipped with telephones.
Radios were used by regiments and the higher echelons.
10. GENERAL INFORMATION:PW is not a volunteer for Korean service.
No instructions were given to the PW to act as a volunteer if captured.
No amphibious training was undergone by the PW’s unit.
No info on the Iron and Steel Brigade.
No Japanese units were in the CCF.
Males, between the ages of 15 and 35, were drafted. They were usually given 3 notices before being conscripted.
Monthly pay of various grades of personnel:
Enlisted men - - 90,000 Yuan
Plat & Co CO - - 180,000 Yuan
Bn & Regt CO - - 360,000 Yuan
No known CCF units have Soviet equipment.
The 39th Army started moving towards MANCHURIA on 26 Aug 50.
These included only Chinese.
No paratroop training was witnessed. The PW heard of paratroop units being in the CCF.
All captured Nationalist weapons and troops were believed to be integrated into CCF units.
Political officers usually lecture the troops on the theory of communist forces fighting for the poor.
The officers stated that in order to stop the UN Forces from entering MANCHURIA, CCF troops have been committed in this war. It is better to fight the UN Forces in KOREA than to fight them later, after they had entered MANCHURIA.
No fortifications were observed from time PW's unit crossed the YALU until place and time PW was captured.
For the AC of S, G-2:
HONG
