ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 3858 7 March 1951
FIELD REPORT (521 LDI 0477) 23 February 1951
| PW NAME: | CHONG, Kyong Ok |
| RANK: | Pvt |
| DUTY: | Runner (Personnel Section) |
| UNIT: | NKA, V Corps, 7th Div Hq |
| DATE & PLACE OF CAPTURE: | 21 Feb 51, SINCHON NI (DS 4120) |
Bombed at night on two occasions. The last date was about 14 days ago, when only 3 bombs fell in area with no casualties suffered. Damage to roads, animals, transportation, or plans unknown.
Air burst bombs are most effective and feared. PW was never under air burst bombing but heard from political officer that there were no countermeasures against it. Also heard from the political officer that a man in a prone position will not be hurt by an ordinary bomb which falls as close as 5m away; also rocky ground and forested areas are relatively safe places. Countermeasures against bombing: Foxholes and caves on side of hills.
Psychological Effect: Troops are afraid of bombing whether it be day or night.
Flares: Only delay movement.
Countermeasures: Stop and “freeze” on the spot. At night, troops usually march in column of two’s in the middle of the road. As soon as the first flare lights up, troops scatter to the side of the road and stand fast till the flare goes out. Flares were dropped in the area of their route of march almost nightly during the last week, but were never detected or attacked.
Jet planes are most feared by the troops because they are fast and very accurate in strafing. During a single attack by 4 jet planes about a month ago in North KOREA, there were 40 killed or wounded in a group of 85-90 men. Troops often comment about jet planes giving them “Pain in the chest” - meaning jet planes scare them so much their hearts beat double time. The use of NAPALM bombs on scattered homes in the mountain areas has killed a lot of sick and wounded who could not take to the hills.
Arty night harassing fire has caused troops to disperse.
Psychological Warfare: PW believes that surrender or safe conduct leaflets do not affect the NK troops because they are indoctrinated to believe that they will be killed upon capture. Once heard a political officer tell the following story: “I was captured with 3 EM in Dec 50 by American troops. They lined us up on a side of a mountain, and just as I heard the first shot I fell down and made believe that I was dead. When the Americans left I crawled along the ditch and returned to my unit. The 3 EM were shot to death.” PW forgot the exact date mentioned but he saw the officer in the unit area on that date and knew that he was telling a lie, but the others believed him because most of the troops don’t see their officers for days at a time. PW is willing to write surrender leaflets using his name to make in authentic; or make voice broadcasts.
For the AC of S, G-2:
SINGLETON
