ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO 2759 27 December 1950
FIELD REPORT (164 MISDI - 1262) 28 November 1950
| PW NAME: | CHANG, Hsu-Chung (Hsueh-Cheng) (張學成) (Chinese) |
| RANK & DUTIES: | Co Commander (連長) |
| ORGN: | Chinese Peoples Liberation Army, 4th Field Army, 40th Army, 120th Div, 359th Regt, 2nd Bn, 6th Co (中國人民解放軍 第四野戰軍 40軍 120師 359團 2營 6連) |
| EDUCATION: | None |
| AGE: | 32 |
| OCCUPATION: | Farmer |
| ADDRESS: | CHINA, SHANTUNG SHENG, CHU HSIEN, TAILUI-KAI, HSINHSU, TSUEN. |
| DATE & PLACE OF CAPTURE: | 251200 I Nov 50, approx 8 km North of KUJANG DONG (YE 5527), by US 23rd Inf Regt |
| INTERROGATOR: | G.W.A. |
Semi-cooperative. PW appeared to be in good physical condition. PW is illiterate. Therefore Chinese characters for many place names and personalities have been omitted. Spelling for such names are phonetic. Reliability of dates is doubtful. Other information seems to be accurate.
40th Army is composed of the 118th, 119th, and 120th Divisions.
120th Div is composed of the 358th, 359th, and 360th Regiments.
359th Regt is composed of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions.
2nd Bn is composed of the 4th, 5th, and 6th Rifle Companies plus 1 x Heavy Weapons Co.
6th Co is composed of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Rifle Platoons plus 1 x Mortar Platoon.
Each Rifle Plat is composed of 2 x Squads with 8 to 12 x men per squad.
Each Mortar Plat is composed of 3 x Squads with 6 x men per squad.
| 6th Co, 2nd Bn, 359th Regt, 120th Division: | Original | Present (25 Nov 50) |
| a. Personnel: | ||
| EM | 106 | 58 |
| Officers | 14 | 2 |
| Total | 120 | 60 |
| b. Equipment & ammo: | ||
| Jap Model 38 rifles | 32 (100 rds per) | 15 (80 rds per) Approx |
| British Sten LMGs | 6 (1000 rds per) | 4 (500 rds per) |
| US Cal .45 “Grease Guns” | 12 (60 rds per) | Unk |
| Mauser Pistols | 3 | 3 |
| Hand grenades | 3 per man | 3 per man |
| 60mm Mortars | 3 (30 rds per) | 3 (20 rds per) |
| US Cal .30 carbines | 6 (100 rds per) | 5 (50 rds per) |
| Dynamite | 15 kg | 15 kg |
| Magnetic Compass | 1 | 0 |
| Bugle | 1 | 1 |
| Whistles | 4 | Unk |
| Semaphore Signal Flags | 1 pair | 1 pair |
| Field Glasses | 1 | 0 |
| Canteens | Approx 100 | Unk |
| Mess Cups | 1 per man | 1 per man |
| Flashlights | 3 | Unk |
| Litter | 1 | 〃 |
| Picks & Shovels | 50 | Approx 20 |
| Blanket | 1 per man | 1 per man |
| Heavy Weapons Co, 2nd Bn, 359th Regt, 120th Div: | ||
| a. Personnel: | ||
| EM | Approx 135 | |
| Officers | 〃 15 | |
| Total | 〃 150 | |
| b. Equipment & ammo: | ||
| Jap LMGs | 6 | |
| US 81mm Mortars | 5 | |
| Mauser Pistols | 4 | |
| Hand grenades | 1 per man | |
| Jap model 44 carbines | 6 | |
| Field Glasses | 1 | |
| Bugle | 1 | |
| Whistles | 4 | |
| Picks & Shovels | Unk number | |
| Semaphore Signal Flags | 1 pair | |
| Canteens | Approx 100 | |
| Mess Cups | 1 per man | |
| Flash lights | Unk number | |
| Litter | 1 | |
| Blankets | 1 per man | |
| 2nd Bn, 359th Regt, 120th Div: | ||
| Personnel: | Approx 500 | |
| 359th Regt, 120th Div | ||
| Personnel: | Estimated 2,000 | |
| 120th Division: | ||
| Personnel: | Estimated 7,000 | |
| Equipment & ammo: | ||
| Horses | Approx 100 | |
| Light Arty Pieces | 3 (70 rds per) | |
| ¼ton truck | 1 | |
Each Company in the 120th Div has a Korean serving as an interpreter plus some Koreans who are Plat Ldrs, Co Commanders, and EM. These Koreans have been with the division from 3 to 4 years.
The 120th Div Hq has one Japanese doctor.
According to the PW, the 40th Army has no Russians in or attached to the Army.
The 40th Army is intact and under the same chain of command now as it was prior to crossing the YALU River into KOREA.
No parts of the 40th Army have been integrated into Korean units.
Objective of the 120th Div was unknown, but the division was definitely planning to move further south into KOREA by attacking UN Forces.
PW heard that the 39th Army is in KOREA, in addition to the 40th Army.
Objective of the 359th Regt was KUJANG-DONG as of 25 Nov 50.
PW was inducted into the Chinese Nationalist Army during 1948 in SHANTUNG SHENG.
Captured by the CCF’s East China Unit (革東部隊) in SHANTUNG SHENG during Feb 48.
Departed from SHANTUNG SHENG during Feb 48, by train with approx 400 other former CNA soldiers, and arrived at LAIOYANG (遼陽) on 5 April 48.
Inducted into the CCF (40th Army) as a rifleman at LIAOYANG o/a 8 April 48.
Departed from LIAOYANG during Feb 49, marched with the 359th Regt of the 120th Div and arrived in HUPEH SHENG during April 49.
Departed from HUPEH SHENG during June 49, by train with approx 60 other EM from various CCF units, and arrived at PEIPING (PEKING) during June 49.
Attended the Central Unit Army School (studying military tactics only) at PEIPING from June 49 until 15 Jul 49 at which time PW and 60 other graduates were given the commissioned rank of Ass’t Plat Ldr (排副).
Departed from PEIPING on 15 Aug 49, by train with 60 other newly commissioned officers, and arrived at ANLUNG (HUNAN SHENG) o/a 19 Aug 49, where PW rejoined the 359th Regt.
Departed from ANLUNG o/a 30 Aug 49, marched with the entire 40th Army, and arrived at KUANG-CHOU (廣州) on 10 Sep 49. Promoted to Plat Ldr during Sep 49.
Departed from KUANG-CHOU on 16 Sep 49, marched with the 120th Div, and arrived at KWANGSI SHENG during the first part of Oct 49.
Departed from KWANGSI SHENG on 20 Oct 49, marched with the 120th Div, and arrived in the peninsula opposite HAINAN Island during Nov 49. There PW was promoted to Co C.O.
Departed from the peninsula opposite HAINAN Island during the late spring of 1950, by train with the 120th Div, and arrived at ANTUNG during the latter part of June 50.
Departed from ANTUNG on 15 Oct 50, marched with the entire 120th Div over a combination RR - automobile bridge across the YALU River into KOREA.
Continued marching (at night only) and arrived at UNSAN (YE 3928) o/a 20 Oct 50.
Departed from UNSAN o/a 22 Oct 50, marched (at night only) and arrived with the 359th Regt, approx 10 km north of KUJANG-DONG on 24 Nov 50.
At 242100 I Nov 50, the 359th Regt started to advance across a river in the vicinity of KUJANG-DONG. The Regt was attacked by US troops. After several unsuccessful attempts to continue advancing, PW decided that he could not hope to defeat the US forces. Consequently he surrendered with approx 50 other CCF soldiers to the US 23rd Inf Regt at 251200 I Nov 50.
HWANG, Kwe-chung, CG, 120th Division
LI, (Fnu), C.O., 359th Regt, 120th Div
HSUI, Li-ya, C.O., 2nd Bn, 359th Regt, 120th Div
CHANG, Yung-hei, Asst C.O., 2nd Bn, 359th Regt, 120th Div
TU, Chin-ling, Political Officer, 2nd Bn, 359th Regt, 120th Div
PIEN, Hsi-yuen, Plat Ldr, 2nd Plat, 6th Co, 2nd Bn, 359th Regt
TSUO, Hwa-ching, Asst Plat Ldr, 2nd Plat, 6th Co, 2nd Bn, 359th Regt.
As of 25 Nov 50, the 120th Div had received no replacements.
When the 120th Div departed from ANTUNG on 15 Oct 50, rations sufficient for four days were brought by each soldier. When this was exhausted, personnel were supplied by the division from food which PW insists was sent from CHINA, although he allegedly knew no dates of the arrival of rations from the rear. PW claimed that personnel from the 40th Army do not confiscate food from North Koreans.
O/a 25 Nov 50, the 40th Army Supply Bureau received approx 100 truckloads of ammo for small arms and mortars. PW heard this.
Observed 1 NKA tank on 17 Oct 50 (two days after crossing the YALU River, location unknown). The tank was proceeding north.
Personnel of the 359th Regt had low morale because they were tired of constant marching.
Observed 5 ROK PsW o/a 17 Nov 50 on an unidentified North Korean village street. PsW were being led by five CCF soldiers (unit unknown).
PW stated that the 120th Div personnel have orders from higher headquarters (Hq unknown) not to hit PsW, remove their personal possessions, or speak to them harshly.
40th Army units have the following means of communications:
Courier - - At all levels.
Bugle - - At Army, Div, Regt, Bn and Co levels.
Whistle - - At Army, Div, Regt, Bn, Co and Plat levels.
Wireless transmitter receiver - - At Army, Div, and Regt levels.
Semaphore Signal Flags - - At Army, Div, Regt and Bn levels.
Signal Flare Pistol - - At Army, Div, Regt and Bn levels.
PW was not a volunteer for Korean service but he was instructed by higher Hq (Hq unknown) to state that he was a volunteer in the event of capture.
The 40th Army is supposed to be a Volunteer Unit for KOREA, according to the PW.
PW stated that one or two regiments from the 40th Army participated in the invasion of HAINAN Island, but that no part of the 120th Div participated.
The 120th Div received amphibious training for two months during the winter of 1949-1950 while the division was stationed on the peninsula opposite HAINAN Island. Training consisted in practicing embarking and debarking from sail-powered Chinese junks. Each junk carried approx 100 soldiers in addition to its crew. There were no Russian advisors to the 120th Div at the time of training or at any other time.
PW stated that though there are Japanese in the CCF, there are no Japanese units.
Pay grade for the 40th Army were as follows:
| Pay Grade | Monthly Pay |
| EM | 10,000 Manchurian “Yuan” |
| Plat Ldr & Co Commander | 10,000 Manchurian “Yuan” plus 66 kg of meat and an occasional pack of cigarettes. |
PW has heard that the CCF has paratroop and armored units but has never seen any.
PW knows of no CCF units having Soviet equipment.
CNA equipment captured in MANCHURIA was used by the CCF units capturing it. CNA soldiers were sent to CCF units that were in need of replacements.
PW stated that the CCF has come to KOREA to fight for world peace and for the immediate security of CHINA.
PW has heard nothing about the CCF in the YENCHI-TUMEN River area.
For the AC of S, G-2:
HONG
