ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO 3507 21 February 1951
FIELD REPORT (164 MISDI - 1548) 16 February 1951
| PW NAME: | Ho, Kuo Chen (賀國振) (CCF) |
| RANK: | Pvt |
| ORGN: | 38th Army, 114th Div, 340th Regt, Recon-Signal Co, Telephone Plat, 6th Sqd |
| DUTIES: | Telephone Lineman |
| EDUCATION: | Middle School, 1 yr |
| AGE: | 19 |
| OCCUPATION: | Student |
| ADDRESS: | HOPEI SHENG, PEIKING SHIH, TUNG CHIH MEN, TA CHIEH, #87 (湖北省 北黃 ■市 東■門 大街 #87) |
| DATE AND PLACE OF CAPTURE: | 140600 I Feb 51 |
| INTERROGATOR: | VTO |
| INTERROGATED AT: | TAEJON PW Compound |
PW was cooperative but was not precise in replying and appeared in doubt. Information seems unreliable.
a. Chronology:
Conscripted 16 Jun 47 and PEIKING into the 5th Signal Regt CNA. Received 6 months training at a CNA signal school at PEIKING.
PW was captured by the CCF 15 Jan 49, taken to HOPEI-SHENG, and was assigned to the present unit 21 Jan 49.
The entire 38th Army departed HOPEI-SHENG in Feb 49 and arrived HONAN SHENG (湖南省) in March 49. The 38th Army departed during the same month and passed through:
| Date Arrived | Date Departed | |
| HOPEI SHENG (河北省) | Jun 49 | Jun 49 |
| HONAN SHENG (河南省) | Sep 49 | Sep 49 |
| KUANG HSI (廣西) | Nov 49 | Nov 49 |
| YUNNAN SHENG(雲南省) | Jan 50 | Jan 50 |
| LIAO HSI SHENG (遼西省) | Aug 50 | Oct 50 |
| CHIAN (輯安) | Nov 50 |
The 38th Army crossed the YALU in Nov 49 and arrived in KOREA. It was engaged in the TOKCHON (YE 1422) area for the first time, for 1 day. It then marched through mountain and occasionally on the main highway southward.
The Army arrived at the 38th Parallel 1 Jan 51 and battled for approx 2 hours before proceeding southward and arriving at an unknown place east of SEOUL (approx 12 km).
The 38th Army was resting and regrouping in the area when the UN forces attacked 14 Jan 51, resulting in the PW capture.
38th Army was waiting for replacements.
b. Location and Activities of Unit:
340th Regiment Hq was believed to have been located in “TOKAN-NI” (phonetic), as of 14 Feb 51.
The present mission of the 38th Army was to stage defensive warfare until replacements arrived. Its main objective is PUSAN.
c. T/O & E and Strength:
38th Army: 112th (code name: 1st Bn), 113th (code name: 2nd Bn) and the 114th (code name: 3rd Bn) Div.
114th Div: 340th, 341st and the 342nd Regt, Arty Bn and Medical Unit.
340th Regt: 3 Rifle Bn, Mortar Co, Recon-Sig Co, Mixed Unit, and Sup Unit.
Each Inf Bn: 3 Rifle Co and HMG Co.
Each Inf Co: 3 Rifle Plat.
Each Rifle Plat: 3 Sqd.
Recon-Sig Co: 1 Sig Plat
1 Telephone Plat
1 Recon Plat
| Telephone Plat: | Original | Present (Feb 51) |
| EM | 37 | 35 |
| Off | 3 | 3 |
| Total | 40 | 38 |
| Equipment & ammo: | ||
| Carbines (US) | 3 (150 rd ea) | 3 (150 rd ea) |
| Grenades | 35 in plat | Unknown |
| Telephones Wire | 20 km | 16 km |
| Telephones (US) | 6 | |
| Only squad ldr were armed. | ||
| Recon-Sig-Co: | ||
| EM | 90 | 80 |
| Off | 10 | 10 |
| Total | 100 | 90 |
| Recon-Plat, Sig Co: | ||
| EM | 24 | 13 |
| Officer | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 25 | 14 |
| Equipment & Ammo: | ||
| Knee mortars (Jap) | 1 (20 rd) | 1 |
| LMG (Chinese) | 1 (200 rd) | 1 |
| Pistol (Canadian) | 1 (20 rd) | 1 |
| Grenades | 25 in plat | Unk |
| Carbines (US) | 6 (150 rd) | 〃 |
| Sig Plat, Recon Sig | ||
| EM | 24 | 18 |
| Off | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 25 | 19 |
| Equipment & ammo: | ||
| Carbines | 14 (150 rd ea) | 14 |
| Pistols (Chinese) | 1 (20 rd ea) | Unk |
| Grenades | 2 per man | 〃 |
340th Regt strength was formerly 570. Presently estimated to be at approx 370 troops.
d. Personalities:
PENG, Yuan Shan (明■山), CG, 114th Div.
KUAN, Kou Ming (慶■明), CO, 340th Regt.
CHIANG, Fieng Ming (姜風明), CO, 3rd Bn.
LIU, Ye Li (劉德■), CO, 7th Co.
Ku, Chun (■春), Plat Ldr, Telephone Plat.
CHIEN, Fine Lien (■■連), Asst Plat Ldr, Telephone Plat.
MOU, Kou Ting (牟刻亭), C/S, 340th Regt.
e. Replacements:
PW heard from another Private of his co on 11 Jan 51 that an unknown number of replacements were arriving from ANTUNG, MANCHURIA at an unknown date.
The 38th Army was claimed to be waiting for these replacements before conducting its proposed offensive which was to begin as soon as the replacements arrived.
f. Supplies:
Food was procured locally in insufficient amounts. One or two meals eaten daily.
No ammo stockpiles or transportation seen.
g. Morale:
Morale was low because of the constant exposure to the cold weather, inferior weapons, and the daily hiding from planes in the cold mountains.
Most of the troops believed that PUSAN will not be reached. They favored returning to CHINA instead of winning the war.
h. UN PW:
Approximately 20 US and 50 ROK PW were seen in the area north of the 38th Parallel, date unknown, when the CCF first arrived in that area.
After being taken to Div Hq, PW heard that they were to be sent to the rear.
i. Signal:
the telephone platoon was engaged in stringing lines between the Regt Eq and the 3 battalions, usually using 12 km of wire. The wire was re■■■■d for future use, when the regiment moved.
3 telephones were used in the Regt Eq and 1 each to the battalions.
The communication system usually took from 1 to 8 hours to set up.
j. Medical:
An undetermined number of frozen feet cases were noted in the PW Bn. No treatment given.
k. Psychological Warfare:
PW was captured and claimed to have seen no leaflets.
For the AC of S G-2:
HONG
