ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO 3778 3 March 1951
FIELD REPORT (EXTRACT OF ADVATIS SPECIAL REPORT 028) 21 February 1951
| PW NAME: | CH’OE Chung Bok (崔貞福) (최정복) |
| PW NUMBER: | 73511 |
| RANK: | Jr Lt (小尉) |
| AGE: | 18 |
| DUTY: | Plat Ldr |
| UNIT: | 19th Div, 3rd Regt, 45mm Gun Btry, 2nd Plat |
| EDUCATION: | 1 yr University |
| OCCUPATION: | Student |
| PLACE OF CAPTURE: | SINGYE (新溪) |
| DATE OF CAPTURE: | 14 Oct 50 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH: | KOREA, HWANGHAE-DO, SARIWON, TONG-NI #59 (黃海道 沙里院 東里 五九番地) |
| HOME ADDRESS: | KOREA, HWANGHAE-DO, SARIWON, PUNG-NI, #316 (黃海道 沙里院 北里 三一六番地) |
| INTERROGATOR: | Cpl FUTAGANI (ATIS) |
PW cooperative, fairly intelligent, judgment of distance and direction good. Reliability - good.
a. Unit Organization
b. Unit Strength
Btry: 5 officers & 53 EM
Plat: 1 officer & 16 EM
Sq: 8 EM
Strength of Div, 7000 as of 20 Sep 50.
c. Training: (location)
Unit trained at SUNGHO-RI (勝湖里), KOREA. The officers were trained at the No. 1 Military Academy in SADONG (寺洞), KOREA.
d. Combat Experience
Was in Combat approx 1 week at KUHWA-RI (九化里).
e. Casualties (Number & Cause)
4 casualties by small arms fire.
f. Counter-Battery (Effect)
PW Unit received little counter-battery fire and received no damage from it.
g. Air Attacks
Men are very much afraid of an air attack. When attacked by air, they are usually in position, therefore, when they hear a plane they go into foxholes which have already been dug.
h. Armament (Type)
Btry had 5 x 45mm anti-tank guns. 45mm AT gun was manufactured in Russia. Model was the 45mm M-1942 AT gun.
i. Movement
Guns were hauled by Russian made ZIS-5 and GAZ-51 trucks. Jeeps were also used.
j. Ammunition (Type & Characteristics)
Armor piercing and fragmentation ammunition. All were fixed rounds. Lose cap type fuses were used on fragmentation rounds only. Tips were blue color, armor piercing rounds were not painted. Usually the Btry carries about 50 rounds; however, when they travel a long distance, carry about 1,000 rounds. Artillery Btry of the 3rd Regt received all ammunition from SUKCH'ON (肅川). Btry seemed to have plenty of ammunition. Expended about 20 rd per day.
k. Restrictions on Firing
Btry CO directed fire. Fired on tanks from 1,000 meters to 600 meters.
l. Transportation (Ammo)
Trucks transport ammo as far as possible then EM carry it to the gun positions. Since they travel by night they used the regular roads.
m. Organization of Position Area
Usually organized their position in a wooded area, with good all round visibility used nets made of straw, brushes and grass which grow around the area, for camouflaging.
n. Slit trenches
Taught to dig trenches while training; however, when in combat they did not have time to dig.
o. Machine Guns
One Bn was usually about 100 meters behind the 45mm artillery Btry. Battalion consisted of 3 Rifle companies, 1 heavy machine gun Co and one 82mm mortar Co. 82mm mortar company had 6 mortars; heavy machine gun Co had 6 machine guns. Two tanks were used by PW company. 82mm mortars offensive and defensive weapon.
p. Inf - Arty Team
There are 3 Rifle companies to one artillery btry. Approx 110 men in a Rifle company. Weapons were rifles and an unknown number of light machine guns. Commander of the Inf - Arty was the infantry commander.
q. Communication (Availability)
They use runners.
r. Observation (Type)
Usually a reconnaissance squad is sent out by the infantry companies. In turn this squad relays all enemy positions to the artillery Btry and the infantry company. Since this unit was normally in position for tanks they did not use observers to adjust fire. Platoon leader of each gun position controls the fire.
s. Liaison
Usually a NCO is selected by the Co commander. He receives instructions and orders from Btry CO and platoon leaders.
t. Calibration
Last calibrated 5 Oct 50.
u. Captured American Guns
Observed an US AT gun at the No. 1 Military Academy. Similar to the Russian 45mm M 1942 AT gun.
For the Commanding Officer:
ROBINSON
