ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 4049 16 March 1951
FIELD REPORT (164 MISDI 1671) 8 March 1951
| PW NAME: | PAEK, Hyong Sik (白享植)(NKA) |
| RANK: | Pvt (戰士) |
| ORGN: | V Corps, 7th Div, 3d Regt, 3d Bn, 7th Co, 2d Plat |
| DUTIES: | Rifleman |
| EDUCATION: | 6 years |
| AGE: | 24 |
| OCCUPATION: | Farmer |
| ADDRESS: | PYONGAN PUKTO, YONGCH'ON GUN, PURA MYON, YONGHO RI, #186 (平安北道 龍川郡 府羅面 龍鎬里 #186) |
| DATE & PLACE OF CAPTURE: | 011630 I Mar 51, at HOENGSONG (DS1149), by 103d MP Bn. |
| INTERROGATOR: | DGC |
Cooperative but had only limited information. Information recorded was that of which he seemed certain.
Reliability considered fair.
a. Chronology:
Conscripted into NKA 7 Jul 50 YONGCH'ON. PW with several other recruits proceeded to HAEJU (YC3913) by train. At HAEJU received 23 days rifle training, and was assigned to his present unit (2d Plat, 7th Co, 3d Bn, 3d Regt, 7th Div, V Corps).
30 Jul 50, departed HAEJU on foot with 7th Div.
Arrived CHINJU (DP1695) with 3d Regiment Sep 50.
At CHINJU 3d Regt remained 17 days, part of which was spent in combat. Oct 50 left CHINJU and began marching northward through TAEBAEK and ODAE Mountain Ranges.
1 Dec 50 rejoined elements of 7th Division at HACHONG (YC1758). After 3 or 4 days 7th Division marched northward toward P'YONGYANG (YD4020), arriving 10 Dec 50. Here, received a complete issue of US Army clothing, including shoe-packs and other winter articles.
17 Dec 50 began marching southward. Did not remember route taken and arrived HOENGSONG (DS1149) 3 Feb 51.
7th Division remained in defense of HOENGSONG, and PW with one other member of platoon was captured by 301st MP Battalion 1 Mar 51.
b. Location and Activities of Units:
7th Division was in vicinity of HOENGSONG 1 Mar 51. Its mission was to defend this city.
5 Feb 51 from approx 4 km north of HOENGSONG, 2 CCF Battalions accompanied 7th Division into city HOENGSONG. (hearsay)
c. T/O & E and Strength of Units: (As of 28 Feb 51)
V Corps: 6th, 7th, 12th Rifle Divisions
7th Rifle Div: 1st, 2d and 3d Rifle Regiments, Signal Company, SMG Company, Supply Unit, Engineer Unit.
3d Rifle Regt: 1st, 2d and 3d Rifle Battalions (Code: NAKTONG GANG - 낙동강).
3d Rifle Bn: 3 Rifle Companies (7th - Code: PUSAN(부산) 8th - Code: INCH'ON (인천) and 9th), Supply Platoon, Signal Platoon, Mortar Company (81mm), HMG Company.
7th Rifle Co: 1st, 2d, 3d Rifle Platoons.
2d Rifle Plat: 2 Rifle Squads.
1 Dec 50 at HACHONG (YC1758), the number of squads in each platoon of 7th Co, 3d Bn, 3d Regt, 7th Division was reduced from 4 to 2. This change was made because of casualties suffered at CHINJU Sep 50.
| 2d Rifle Platoon | Original (10 Dec 50) | Present (28 Feb 51) |
| EM | 20 | 14 |
| Officers | 1 | 1 |
| During march south from P'YONGYANG to HOENGSONG, the platoon lost men because of typhus and frozen feet. | ||
| Equipment and ammo: | ||
| M1891/30 Rifles | 20 (200 rd per) | 11 |
| Carbine (US M-1) | 1 (rd unknown) | 1 |
| Rifle, US M-1 | 0 | 2 |
| Grenades | 30 | 27 |
| LMG, DP | 1 (1,000 rd) | 1 |
| The men who left platoon because of frozen feet and sickness took their rifles with them. 2 M-1 Rifles were acquired during march from P'YONGYANG. | ||
| 7th Rifle Company | ||
| EM | 50 | 26 |
| Officers | 5 | 3 |
| Some men were lost during the march from P'YONGYANG because of sickness and frozen feet. Others, at HOENGSONG, were transferred to 8th Co, 3d Bn, 3d Regiment. | ||
| Equipment and ammo: | ||
| LMG, DP | 2 (2000 rd per) | 2 |
| BAR (US) | 0 | 2 |
| BAR were issued to 7th Company at HOENGSONG Feb 51. | ||
| 3d Rifle Battalion | ||
| Equipment and ammo: | ||
| Mortars (81mm) | 2 | 2 |
| HMG, M1910 | 3 | 3 |
d. Personalities:
LEE, Pong Hak (李峰學), Jr Lt, Plat Ldr, 2d Plat, 7th Co, 3d Bn.
LEE, Hyon Sang (李現相), Sr Lt, CO, 7th Co, 3d Bn, 3d Regt.
CH'OE, Chin Ku (崔進久), Maj, CO, 3d Bn, 3d Regt, 7th Div (Code: #91).
e. Replacements:
8 Feb 7th Co, 3d Bn, 3d Regiment, 7th Division received 3 Riflemen from deactivated 38th NKA Division. Did not know when 38th Division was deactivated or how many men were integrated into other units of 7th Division.
f. Food and Ammo:
During march from P'YONGYANG, food was obtained from villages along the route. No food carried.
At HOENGSONG a detail of 4 or 5 men was sent out daily to collect food for company. Procured from deserted houses and farms. The daily individual food allotment was approx 20 oz of corn for EM; rice for officers.
g. Signal:
Not familiar with communication system, but runners were used between platoon and company, and between company and battalion. He had heard 3d Battalion had a telephone and that 3d Regiment used a telegraph.
h. Morale and Battle Effectiveness:
Men of 7th Company had low morale, because (1) tired of war, (2) homesick, (3) hungry, (4) in disagreement with communism.
Most men in 7th Company were drafted Jul 50, had approx 15 days of basic training and little battle experience except for a few days at CHINJU and more recently at HOENGSONG. The degree of experience of replacements from 38th Division was unknown.
i. Medical:
During march southward from P'YONGYANG, 4 men of PW platoon were afflicted with typhus.
No knowledge of type of treatment given. No preventive measures were taken.
j. Psychological Warfare:
Surrendered voluntarily because he did not believe NKA and CCF could win the war, and because he had no desire to die in battle for a useless cause.
Did not see any UN leaflets or hear any UN broadcasts, nor hear any discussions on the subject among the men of his unit.
For the AC of S, G-2:
HONG
