ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 3807 6 March 1951
FIELD REPORT (164 MISDI 1630) 1 March 1951
| NAME: | HONG, Chun Pyo (洪俊杓) (홍준표) (NKA) |
| RANK: | Sr Lt (大尉) |
| ORGN: | III Corps, 15th Div, 48th Regt, Rear Service Unit |
| DUTIES: | Clothing Supply Officer |
| EDUCATION: | Middle School, 5 yr |
| AGE: | 31 |
| OCCUPATION: | Clerk in the statistical Dept, National Enterprise Committee |
| ADDRESS: | PYONG AN PUKTO, SON CH’ON KUN, NAM MYON, BUYANG NI (平安北道 宣川郡 南面 富陽里) |
| DATE & PLACE OF CAPTURE: | 231000 I Feb 51 at PYONGCHANG (DS5734) |
| INTERROGATOR: | KSS |
PW appeared to be alert and cooperative. However, he seemed rather confused as to dates and place names.
Information seems to be reliable.
a. Personal and Unit History:
PW was conscripted into the NKA as an officer at P’YONGYANG 10 Oct 50, and was immediately assigned to 2nd Regt of 15th Div which was then located at TOKCH’ON (BV6903). No military training.
Remained at TOKCH’ON for approx four weeks as a clothing supply officer. All EM of 1st and 2nd Regt were supplied winter clothing at TOKCH’ON. Clothing issue of 3rd Regt was unknown.
10 Nov 50, 15th Div moved to P’YONGAN PUKTO, CHONCH’ON (BA8506) for further troop training.
11 Nov 50, 15th Div arrived at KU HYON (BV7676) on foot. Its troops received four weeks training. After training, 15th Div marched southward.
9 Dec 50, 15th Div arrived at KUJANG (BV4517).
While 15th Div marched on foot, PW remained with a truck in order to pick up various supplies from 15th Div Rear Services, Clothing Supply Section.
Various supplies were as follows: Combat boots (900 pairs); overcoats for officers (120); empty ammo bandaliers (1,500); garters (645); and winter caps (50).
15 Dec 50, transported combat boots and ammo bandaliers to CHANGNIM (BU7353), where 15th Div was located. Issued combat boots and empty ammo bandaliers to troops. Other supplies were to have been carried by another transportation unit.
31 Dec 50, 15th Div arrived at KANGWON DO, INJE (DT2813) via KOKSAN (BT9795), and KUMHWA (CT6438).
Here, above-mentioned supplies were transported and distributed.
15th Div remained for about 20 days at INJE and underwent further training.
20 Jan 15, 15th Div arrived at HYON NI (DT4000), remaining there for one week.
O/a 4 Feb 51, only 2nd Regt moved to KANGNUNG (BS9178), then returned to MISAN NI (DS3891) where it rejoined 15th Div Feb 51. At MISAN NI, 2nd Regt redesignated as 48th Regt, 15th Div.
20 Feb 51, 15th Div arrived at PYONGCHANG (DS5734) and began to retreat northward. Remained behind because of sickness, and was captured.
b. Location and Activities of Units:
When observed last (20 Feb 51), 15th Div Hq located approx 20 Km N of PYONGCHANG (DS5734). Three Regt were located around the Div Hq. At this time, three Regt were ordered to concentrate at YUDONG NI (DS2560) by the night of 22 Feb 51.
c. T/O & E:
III NK Corps: 1st, 4th & 15th Div.
15th Div (Code Number: 775): 48th, and 2 unknown Regt, Arty Regt, Engr Bn, AA Bn, Sig Bn, Recon Co, Transportation Co, and Div Hq Unit.
15th Div Hq Unit: Staff Section, Rear Service Section, Political Section, Security Section, Arty Section.
48th Regt: (Code Number:779) 3 Rifle Bn, SMG Co, Sig Co, Engr Co, 120mm Mortar Co, 45mm Mortar Co, 76mm Mortar Co, Recon Plat, Guard Plat, AA Rifle Plat, Transportation Plat, Med Unit (軍医所) and Regt Hq Unit.
Regt Hq Unit: Staff Section, Rear Service Section, Political Section, Security Section, Arty Section.
| Rifle Bn(Estimated average): | Original (16 Oct 50) | Present (20 Feb 51) |
| EM | 480 | 450 approx |
| Off | 40 | 35 approx |
| Personnel losses were the result of non-battle casualties (illness, type unknown). | ||
| SMG Co, 48th Regt: | ||
| EM | 58 | 50 |
| Off | 4 | 4 |
| 8 EM were lost through illness | ||
| Equipment & Ammo | ||
| All officers and EM carried Russian made SMG with an average of 120 rounds ammo per man. | ||
| Sig Co, 48th Regt: | ||
| EM | 63 | 55 |
| Off | 5 | 4 |
| Equipment & Ammo | ||
| Field Phones (Russ) | Unk | 7 |
| Each EM carried Russian Rifles (150 rounds per man). | ||
| Officers did not carry pistols. | ||
| 120mm Mortar Co: | ||
| EM | 55 | 53 |
| Off | 4 | 4 |
| Equipment & Ammo | ||
| There was only 1 x 120mm Mortar in this company with approx 24 boxes of shells. Number of shells per box unknown. | ||
| Rifles (Russ) | Unk | 40 (150 rd ea) |
| 45mm Mortar Co: | ||
| EM | 50 | 40 |
| Off | 4 | 4 |
| 10 EM were transferred to an unknown unit. | ||
| Equipment & Ammo | ||
| Only 1 x 45mm Mortar was in this company, and heard that there was no ammo for it. | ||
| Rifles (Russ) | Unk | 40 (150 rd ea) |
| 76mm Mortar Co: | ||
| EM | 62 | 62 |
| Off | 4 | 4 |
| Equipment & Ammo | ||
| 76mm Mortar | Unk | 1 |
| Rifles (Russ) | Unk | 60 (150 rd ea) |
| Antiaircraft Platoon: | ||
| EM | 39 | 39 |
| Off | 1 | 1 |
| Equipment & Ammo | ||
| AA Guns (type unk) | Unk | 4 |
| There were 20 boxes of shells which PW estimated had 8 shells to each box. | ||
| Regt Hq staff Section: | ||
| 1 Chief of Staff (Major) | ||
| 1 Military asst-regimental commander (Lt Col) (軍■■ ■隊長) | ||
| 1 G-2 Staff (Major) | ||
| 10 Officers | ||
| Rear Service Section: | ||
| 9 Officers and 6 EM | ||
| 48th Regt: | ||
| EM & Off | Unk | Estimated 2,000 |
| 15th Div: | ||
| EM & off | Unk | Estimated 9,000 |
d. Personalities:
LEE, Tu Ch’ang (李斗賛) (리두찬)
Col (大佐), CO, 48th Regt, 15th Div
O, Hak Yong (吳學永) (오학영), Sr Col (總佐), CG, 15th Div
e. Food, Ammo and Other Supplies:
Usually, each man carried 5 days rations and approx 150 rd of ammo.
PW, as the clothing supply officer, issued the following:
(1) Winter Clothes: All EM received these between Nov 50 and Dec 50 at TOKCH’ON (BV6903) and KU HYON (BV7676).
(2) Winter Caps: All EM of 48th Regt were issued caps. These caps were manufactured in CHINA, and had been transported by truck from MANCHURI to MANP’OJIN, KOREA. There had been an unknown number of caps to supplement 50 caps that the PW had transported earlier.
(3) Blankets: Made in PEIPING (北京), CHINA. Approx half of 48th Regt personnel were issued 1 blanket each. The men who did not receive blankets, were issued CHINESE coats instead.
f. Signal:
Co and Plat: Runners
Bn to Regt: Field phones (RUSS) (2 in each Bn CP).
Regt to Div: 7 Field Phones in Sig Co, 5 field phones in the Regt Hq, and unknown number of wireless sets in the Regt Hq. (Soviet equipment; model unknown).
Div: 12 wireless sets in the Sig Bn.
g. Morale and Battle Effectiveness:
Morale of 48th Regt was low, because half of the troops were old men (the average age of these men were about 40 years).
Other half were young and fairly well-trained men, and their morale was fairly high.
h. UN PW:
PW saw approx 70 or 80 PW (30 were ROK PW and the others were US) approx 20 km N of KUJANG (BV4517), o/a 9 Dec 50. These UN PW were guarded by CCF troops and were marching north. Did not know the disposition of these PW.
i. Medical:
There were paratyphus and abdominal-typhus patients in PW Regt. (Approx 15 paratyphus patients, and 2 abdominal-typhus patients).
No immunization and no medicines were administered.
Approx 30 men had been affected by frostbite in PW Regt. They received frostbite ointment for treatment. Effectiveness of ointment is unknown. Source of this ointment was unknown.
j. Psychological Warfare:
PW was captured and had never seen any leaflets.
For the AC of S, G-2:
HONG
