ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO 4080 19 March 1951
FIELD REPORT (164 MISDI 1697) 13 March 1951
| NAME: | CHANG Heng (張■) (CCF) |
| RANK: | Pvt |
| ORGN: | Engr Hq, 8th Engr Regt, 3d Bn, 9th Co, 3d Plat, 10th Sqd |
| DUTIES: | General Duties |
| EDUCATION: | Primary School, 4 yrs |
| AGE: | 23 |
| OCCUPATION: | Clothing store clerk |
| ADDRESS: | HOPEI SHENG, CHITUNG CH’ANGLI HSIEN, WULI, YING (河北省 冀東 昌梨縣 三里營) |
| DATE & PLACE OF CAPTURE: | 091600 I Mar 51 at CS 665596 by 19th RCT. (Extracted from PW Card) |
| INTERROGATOR: | WTO |
Cooperative and seemed familiar with military subjects. Information seems reliable.
a. Chronology
Conscripted Jan 48 at PEKING into CNA 101st Army where he received no training. Assigned to engineer unit and engaged in engineering duties in that area until captured by CCF in Jan 49 at PEKING.
Taken to HUANGTSUN (黃村) and assigned to CCF 48th Army, Engr Bn after receiving 2 months indoctrination and training.
48th Army passed through HONAN SHENG (河南省), HUPEI SHENG (湖北省), CHIANGHSI (江西), and arrived at KUANG TUNG (廣東) summer of 1949.
Passing through CHIANG HSI, 1st Co, Engr Bn, 48th Army was transferred to the 8th Engr Regt.
Regiment arrived at KUANG TUNG after 48th Army and was engaged in engineering duties for one year in that area.
8th Engr Regt departed after being issued weapons and ammo, and arrived ANTUNG Dec 50.
(48th Army not seen in KUANGTUNG when PW left there).
8th Regt, after a ten day rest, entered KOREA through SINUIJU (XE1839), and passed through CHONGJU (XC9096), SUKCH’ON (YD 2564), P’YONGYANG, HWANGJU (YC 4183), SARIWON (YC 4064), NAMCH’ON (BT 7346), P’YONGSAN, KUMCH’ON (BT 8505), YONCHON (CT 3218), KORANGP’O (CT 1006), and arrived 5 km N of SEOUL mid-Feb 51. After a two day rest, 9th Co, 3d Bn departed southward and arrived N of YANGPYONG (CS 6649).
3d Bn was separated from 8th Regt at SUKCHON and marched southward alone. 1st and 2d Bn last seen at SUKCHON.
9th Co assigned to 337th Regt, 38th Regt Army upon arrival in the YANGPYONG area and was engaged in construction of simple defensive positions for ten days when PW deserted unit 7 March 1951.
b. Location and Activities of Unit
7th and 8th Cos, 3d Bn last seen 5 km N of SEOUL, Feb 1951.
1st and 2d Bn, 8th Engr Regt last seen in SUKCHON (YD 2564), when 3d Bn departed southward.
9th Co last seen digging defense positions in the 337th Regt, 38th Army sector 7 Mar 51.
Heard from his company commander 5 Mar 51 that undetermined number of fresh units are presently in reserve.
c. T/O & E and Strength of Unit.
Engr Dept: 8 engineer regt (# 1 to 8), and possibly more
8th Engr Regt: 3 engr bn, Car co, guard co, signal co and medical co
3d Engr Bn: 7th, 8th and 9th Engr Co
Each engr co: 3 plats.
Each engr Plat: 3 sqds.
Each engr sqd: 10 men.
9th Co, 3d Engr Bn:
| Original | Present | |
| EM | 126 | 102 |
| Off | 8 | 8 |
| Equipment & ammo: | ||
| LMG (Czech) | 6 (300 rd ea) | 6 |
| Rifles (Chinese) | 60 (50 rd ea) | 60 |
| Grenades | (less than 1 per man) | |
| Pistols | 7 | 7 |
| Shovels | 70 | |
| Picks | 70 | |
| Axes | 7 | |
| Hatchets | 25 |
Casualties caused by aircraft, a few from illness, and some from stepping on mines.
Rifles used by company were produced at KUANGTUNG Arsenal. Bolt-action type with a 5 round capacity, clip-fed. Characters (CHUNGCHENG SHIH) (中正式) stamped on the top of barrel. Stated to be inferior to Japanese model 38 rifles.
3d Bn strength 470 prior to entering KOREA. Present strength estimated at 440. 8th Regt strength formerly 1,800 men. Present strength estimated at 1,500.
Car Co, 8th Engr Regt, consisted of 16 trucks. These usually traveled with regt’l headquarters. Only 1 truck seen while in KORANGPO area, which brought food supplies from the regiment.
Heard 8 trucks destroyed, since entering KOREA.
d. Personalities
HSUEH (fnu) (薛)
Regt Comdr, (Asst), 8th Engr Regt
Yu Jen Yun (于仁雲)
Co CO, 9th Co
Yang (fnu)(楊)
Political advisor, 9th Co
YANG Hsueh Lin (楊學林)
Ass’t Plat Ldr, 3d Plat, 9th Co
e. Food and Ammo Supplies
When unit was N of 38th Parallel, they were receiving food supplies from MANCHURIA. Upon crossing 38th Parallel, food procured locally. Food sufficient.
f. Morale
Morale low as troops physically and mentally tired.
g. UN PW
2 US PW seen captured by 337th Regt 5 Mar 51. 1 PW killed during a UN aerial attack and the other sent to rear.
h. Signal
Runners used between battalions and companies.
When battalion situated far from regiment, runners used. (IN: possibly due to shortage of wire) In short distances, phones used.
8th Regt had a wireless set.
i. Psychological Warfare
Surrendered voluntarily because of hardships endured in the CCF.
Upon reading a leaflet PW, although apprehensive, took his chances and surrendered.
No conversation heard among troops concerning the leaflets.
For the AC of S, G-2:
HONG
