ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO 3785 5 March 1951
FIELD REPORT (164 MISDI 1619) 1 March 1951
| NAME: | LEE, Sung Mo (李成模) (리성모) (NKA) |
| RANK: | Pvt (戰士) |
| ORGN: | III NK Corps, 1st Div, 3rd Regt, 1st Bn, 1st Co, 1st Plat, 2nd Sqd |
| DUTIES: | Rifleman |
| EDUCATION: | Primary School (6 yr) |
| AGE: | 28 |
| OCCUPATION: | Farmer |
| ADDRESS: | KANGWON DO, ANBYON GUN, SHINGO SAN MYON, HABU PYONG RI, #237 (江原道 安邊郡 新高山面 下富坪里) |
| DATE & PLACE OF CAPTURE: | 210900 I Feb 51 at YONGWOL (DS5315) |
| INTERROGATOR: | MT |
Cooperative and gave information freely. Information seemed fairly reliable.
a. Personal and Unit History:
PW was conscripted 27 Sep 50 into the NKA at WONSAN (CU6634). Received no basic training.
Upon conscription, assigned to 2nd Sqd, 1st Plat, 4th Co, 2nd Bn, 3rd Regt, 42nd Div, at WONSAN.
1st and 2nd Bn (approx 200 conscriptees each) were engaged in constructing 15 under-ground barracks for approx 1 month.
5 Nov 50, 42nd Div (1st, 2nd & 3rd Regt) departed form WONSAN on foot and arrived MANPOJIN (BA7259) after travelling about one month.
42nd Division redesignated as the 1st Division which had mostly officers remaining after it retreated from the south.
Assigned to 2nd Sqd, 1st Plat, 1st Co, 1st Bn, 3rd Regt, 1st Div, III NK Corps at MANPOJIN.
III NK Corps (1st, 2nd & 3rd Div) were engaged in the same type of work, constructing under ground barracks (number unknown) for approx one month. Each barrack was able to accommodate one platoon.
Believed that an unknown number of NKA had crossed the YALU River into MANCHURIA.
O/a 13 Dec 50, after the troops of the III NK Corps were issued weapons (mostly small arms) and ammunition (100 rd per man), 1st Division (1st, 2nd & 3rd Regt) departed from MANPOJIN on foot and advanced southward.
While travelling to YONGWOL from MANPOJIN, the following places were passed:
| Place Departed | Date | Mode of Tvl | Place Arr | Date |
| MANPOJIN | 13 Dec 50 | Marched | N of HUNGNAM | Dec 50 |
| N of HUNGNAM | Dec 50 | Marched | HAMHUNG | Dec 50 |
| HAMHUNG | Dec 50 | Marched | WONSAN | Dec 50 |
| WONSAN | Jan 51 | Marched | KUMSONG | 13 Jan 51 |
| KUMSONG | 4 Feb 51 | Marched | KUMHWA | Feb 51 |
| KUMHWA | Feb 51 | Marched | HWACH’ON | Feb 51 |
| HWACH’ON | Feb 51 | Marched | HONGCH’ON | Feb 51 |
| HONGCH’ON | Feb 51 | Marched | HOENGSONG | Feb 51 |
| HOENGSONG | Feb 51 | Marched | approx 20 Km N of WONJU | Feb 51 |
| Approx 20 Km N of WONJU | Feb 51 | Marched | PYONGCHANG (Night) | 17 Feb 51 |
| PYONGCHANG | Feb 51 | Marched | YONGWOL(Morning) | 17 Feb 51 |
First objective of 1st Division was WONJU when the unit departed from HOENGSONG, Feb 51.
After III NK Corps (1st, 2nd & 3rd Div) gathered at a point approx 20 Km N of WONJU, Feb 51, objective of 1st Div changed to P’YONGCHANG instead of WONJU.
1st Division advanced toward PYONGCHANG and arrived there the night of 16 Feb 51.
Upon arriving at PYONGCHANG, 1st Regt, 1st Div crossed the mountain (between YONGWOL and PYONGCHANG) during the night of 16 Feb 51.
Upon entering a village in YONGWOL-GUN, 1st Bn was attacked by UN Troops at 170200 I Feb 51.
During the battle, PW was wounded and evacuated to the Regt Field Hosp located at the base of the mountain.
When the hospital was evacuated, PW was left behind in the village, where he was captured 210200 Feb 51.
b. Location and Activities of Units:
2nd and 3rd Div of III NK Corps, were last seen approx 20 Km N of WONJU on Feb 51.
1st Div Hq was located in a village on the other side of the mountain of YONGWOL (between YONGWOL and PYONGCH’ANG) as of 17 Feb 51.
1st Regt Hq was located at the foot of a mountain in YONGWOL as of 18 Feb 51.
c. T/O & E:
III NK Corps: 1st, 2nd & 3rd Div.
1st Div: 1st, 2nd & 3rd Regt, Sig Co, SMG Co, Supply Co, & Med Unit.
3rd Regt: 3 Rifle Bn, Recon Plat, SMG Plat, Supply Plat, Med Plat, & Sig Plat.
1st Bn: 3 Rifle Co
1st Co: 3 Rifle Plat
1st Plat: 3 Rifle Sqd
Each rifle Sqd consisted of approx 7 men.
| 1st Plat: | Original (Nov 50) | Present (17 Feb 51) |
| EM | 38 | 28 |
| Off | 1 | 1 |
| Equipment & Ammo | ||
| M1891/30 Rifles | 35 (100 rd ea) | 28 (100 rd ea) |
| SMG (PPsh) | 3 (100 rd ea) | 3 (150 rd ea) |
| LMG | 2 (235 rd) | 2 (235 rd) |
| Grenades | 2 per man | 2 per man |
| REMARKS: 10 men were transferred to 2nd and 3rd Platoons of the 1st Co. | ||
| 1st Co: | ||
| EM | 140 | 76 |
| Off | 6 | 6 |
| Equipment & Ammo | ||
| Same as above. | ||
| REMARKS: Number of troops reduced due to the transferring of men to other battalions, frozen feet cases, and disease. | ||
| 1st Bn: | ||
| EM & Off | 460 | unk |
| Equipment & Ammo | ||
| PW heard that there were SMG and mortars in the battalion but had not seen any. | ||
d. Personalities:
KAN, Pom Ho, Regt CO, 3rd Regt, 1st Div, III NK Corps.
CHONG, Won Pek, Major (少佐), Bn CO, 1st Bn, 3rd Regt, 1st Div, III NK Corps.
e. Food, Ammo and Other Supplies:
Food (millet) was procured locally.
Usually, two men from each platoon were dispatched to nearby villages to acquire food.
PW received only one issue of 100 rd of S/A ammo at MANPOJIN in Dec 50.
f. Signal:
Field telephones were used for communications above Bn Hq levels.
Runners were used in lower echelons.
g. Morale & Battle Effectiveness:
Present morale of PW unit was low due to the lack of weapons and ammunition. Furthermore, 1st Bn personnel were mostly composed of untrained conscripts whose ages ranged from 35 to 40.
h. Medical:
No diseases were noted in PW Co.
Had not received any immunizations.
Observed about 8 patients suffering from frozen feet in 1st Platoon. A red liquid medicine was the only treatment used on these patients.
i. Psychological Warfare:
PW was captured when wounded by shell fragment.
He had not seen leaflets.
For the AC of S, G-2:
HONG
