ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 2661 9 November 1950
FIELD REPORT (164 - MISDI - 1244) 22 November 1950
1. PERSONAL DETAILS:| PW NAME: | CHEN, Chi-Min (陳済民) (Chinese) |
| RANK: | Pvt (戰士) |
| ORGANIZATION: | CCF, 4th Field Army, 39th Array, 117th Div, 351st Regt, 3rd Bn, 8th Co, 2nd Plat, 6th Sqd (Code name in T/O & E) |
| DUTIES: | Rifleman |
| EDUCATION: | Primary School (2 years) |
| OCCUPATION: | Laborer at a Towel Manufacturing Company |
| AGE: | 21 |
| ADDRESS: | HUNAN SHENG, SHAOYANG HSIEN, AN-HO CHEN, CHUNG-HO CHIEH, #35 (湖南省 邵陽縣 安和鎭 中河街 35号) |
| DATE & PLACE OF CAPTURE: | 180900 I Nov 50 on a mountain at YONSAN DONG (YE 3011) area |
| INTERROGATOR: | C.H.S. |
PW was cooperative. Information seems reliable
3. T/O & E AND STRENGTH:At LIAOYANG in Oct 50, prior to coming to KOREA, the PW's unit was redesignated as following: 55th Unit (39th Army), 3rd Branch Unit (117th Div), 41st TA TUI (351st Regt), 3rd CHIH TUI (3rd Bn), 10th SHAO TUI (8th Co), plat and sqd was same.
1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Field Armies
4th Field Army: (PW heard that the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st Armies were in the 4th Field Army).
39th Army: 115th, 116th, 117th Inf Divs and one Arty Div,
117th Division: 3 Infantry Regts (349th, 350th, 351st).
351st Regiment: 3 Infantry Battalions, Guard Company, Propaganda Unit, Medical Unit and Signal Plat.
3rd Battalion: 3 Infantry Companies (7th, 8th, 9th), Weapons Co, Signal Sqd and Hq Plat.
8th Infantry Company: 3 Infantry Plats and 60mm Mortar Plat.
2nd Infantry Platoon: 3 Infantry Squads
Mortar Platoon: 3 Mortar Squads
2nd Infantry Platoon
A. Personnel: 2 officers and 24 EM
PW and his Sqd Ldr surrendered to American troops while their sqd was on patrol.
B. Equipment & Ammo:
3 LMGs (US) (900 rds per)
2 Grease Guns (US) (100 rds per)
25 M38 type Jap rifles (60 rds per)
Grenades 3 per man
The LMG crew (4 men to each gun) did not carry any grenades.
Mortar Platoon
A. Personnel: 2 officers and 24 EM
B. Ammo & Equipment:
3x60mm Mortar (US) (30 rds per)
2 Grease Guns (US) (100 rds per)
8th Company
A. Personnel: 12 officers and 148 EM
3rd Battalion
A. Personnel: 700 officers and EM
B. Equipment & Ammo:
2 Rocket Launcher Size unknown (US) (rds unknown)
4 x ?mm Mortar (US) (rds unknown)
6 HMGs air cooled 50 Cal (US) (rds unknown)
5 Carbines (US) (rds unknown)
351st Regiment
A. Personnel: 3,000 officers and EM
Prior to entering KOREA, PW heard that there was one Artillery Division in the 39th Army.
There was one Korean interpreter in each Company before PW’s unit crossed the YALU River; this Korean joined the PW’s Company in Oct 50 at LIAOYANG (遼陽).
PW’s unit was intact and under the same chain of command as it was prior to crossing the YALU River. Parts of the PW’s unit were not integrated into Korean units.
PW did not see any Artillery pieces before and after crossing the YALU River. One day after crossing the river, PW saw 10 x 10 wheel trucks loaded with officers going forward. PW believed the trucks belonged to his unit.
4. LOCATION AND ACTIVITIES OF UNIT: (As of 18 Nov 50)PW did not know why they came to KOREA nor their mission.
PW did not see other CCF units.
PW’s unit did not construct any defensive positions while traveling South from the YALU River.
PW stated that his company was in defense positions on a hill 2 km West of YONGSANG DONG (YE 3011). The 7th and 9th company were 2 km North of the 8th Company, on a hill. The Bn, Regt and Division CP’s and Headquarters were unknown.
PW and his squad leader, who allegedly put on an officer's uniform, surrendered to American troops when his 6th squad was on patrol 500 meters South of the 8th Company position. PW did not know what happened to the rest of the patrol (9 men).
5. PERSONAL & UNIT HISTORY:Conscripted into the NCA, HSIANG HSI TSUNG TUI (湘西樅隊) at HUNAN SHENG, SHAO YANG HSIEN (湖南省 邵陽縣) in Aug 48. Received one month basic Infantry training at HUNAN SHENG.
HSIANG HSI TSUNG TUI (approximately 500 men) left HUNAN SHENG on foot in Oct 49 and arrived at KHANGSI CHIEN CHIANG (廣西迁江) and 200 NCA soldiers were captured by the 39th Army on 2 Nov 49. These were immediately placed into the various Battalions of the 351st Regt, 117th Div, 39th Army. They went through one month of physical training at KWANGSI CHIEN CHIANG.
351st Regiment left KWANGSI CHIEN CHIANG by foot in Dec 49,
351st Regiment left MING CHIANG by foot and arrived at HONAN SHENG in Jan 50. The 351st Regiment left HUNAN SHENG by foot and arrived at HONAN SHENG (河南城) in Mar 50. Here, Regiment personnel constructed farm irrigation canals.
351st Regiment left HONAN SHENG by foot in Aug 50 and arrived at TUNBE LIAOYANG (東北遼陽) in Aug 50. While at LIAOYANG, MANCHURIA, the Regiment had mountain combat training (reason unknown). The 351st Regiment left LIAOYANG, MANCHURIA by train in Oct 50 and arrived at a small station in MANCHURIA after two days. The 351st Regiment left this small RR station after two days of rest by foot, passing KUAN-TIEN, MANCHURIA (廣甸), and arrived at the YALU River (definite area unknown) o/a 30 Oct 50. PW actually saw only his 3rd Battalion cross, on foot, the concrete bridge over the YALU River. Later, the PW heard from his CO that the entire 351st Regiment crossed the river. The actual point or crossing into KOREA was unknown, but the unit began marching from KUAN-TIEN, MANCHURIA, and the first point in KOREA that the PW remembers is KUSONG.
On or about 3 Nov 50, the 3rd Battalion arrived at KUSONG (XE 9329). The 3rd Battalion left KUSONG by foot on 4 Nov 50 and arrived at UNSAN (YE 3927) on 7 Nov 50. The 3rd Battalion left UNSAN by foot on 9 Nov 50 and arrived at YONSANG DONG (YE 3011) on 12 Nov 50.
PW and his squad leader were captured on l7 Nov 50 in the mountains.
PW did not see other CCF units bn his trip to KOREA.
PW's unit did not participate in the HAINAN Island invasion.
Headquarters for the 117th Division was at LIAOYANG on d/u Oct 50.
6. PERSONALITIES:TU, Kun (杜根), Plat Ldr, 2nd Plat
LIN, Piao (林彪), CG, 4th Field Army
7. FOOD AND AMMO SUPPLIES:Troops brought 3 days ration with them when they crossed the YALU River. After the ration was exhausted, food scroungers from Battalions went to Korean villages and somehow acquired the food.
8. SIGNAL COMMUNICATION:PW heard that communication above the Battalion level was by telephone. Communication between Battalion and Company was by messengers.
9. MORALE:The morale in PW’s Company dropped when they discovered that they were to fight US troops in KOREA; they had been totally ignorant of the present situation and they received the news with shocked alarm.
10. GENERAL INFORMATION:PW was not a volunteer for Korean service.
PW was not instructed, if captured, to appear as a volunteer.
PW’s unit did not undergo amphibious training.
PW did not know of the Iron & Steel Brigade.
No Japanese are in CCF units.
Chinese Communists did not have Militia & Public Security units in addition to their regular troops.
PW received 90,000 Yuan per month.
Squad received 180,000 Yuan per month.
PW did not know of any paratroop training or paratroop units in the CCF.
While in CHINA, the Political officers always lectured to the former NCA soldiers of the benefits of Communism as against the detrimental character of Nationalism.
PW stated that, while in KOREA, only the Battalion commanding officer lived in hemes commandeered from farmers. Others all slept in fox holes.
PW wore black tennis shoes at the time of interrogation. He was issued these at LIAOYANG, MANCHUIRA. Eight shoes were issued to each soldier in a year. Officers had leather and canvas shoes. Tennis shoes were made at KWANG CHOU (廣州). PW stated that he was issued one pair of winter shoes before leaving for KOREA at LIAOYANG. PW claims that he lost his winter shoes at YONSAN DONG (Place of capture). PW did not wear winter shoes because it was too heavy; moreover, When the cotton lining in the winter shoes was dampened by dew, it was very uncomfortable and cold.
For the AC of S, G-2:
HONG
