ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 4130 19 March 1951
FIELD REPORT (521 MISDI 0517) 6 March 1951
| PW NAME: | LEE, Yong Je |
| AGE: | 30 |
| UNIT: | 15th Div, 45th Regt, 1st Bn, HMG Co |
| RANK: | Lt |
| DUTY: | Co CO |
| PLACE OF CAPTURE: | 6km N of PANGNIM-NI (DS4943) |
| DATE OF CAPTURE: | 3 Mar 51 |
| UNIT MAKING CAPTURE: | 17th RCT |
Education: 9 yr
Physical Condition: Recovering from Typhus.
Very cooperative, gave information freely, appeared observant.
a. Chronology:
18 Sep 45: Conscripted into the Korean Volunteer Corps at YEN-JISHIEN, MANCHURIA.
24 Apr 50: Assigned to 15th Div at HOERYONG.
27 Dec 50: 15th Div left TOKCHON (BV7004) after being supplied with ammo and equipment.
29 Dec 50: Div dep KAECHON (YD4998)
1 Jan 51: Div dep SUNCHON (YD5388)
5 Jan 51: Div dep KOKSAN (29 km S of CU0309)
8 Jan 51: Div dep ICHON (CT1561)
9 Jan 51: Arr PYONGGANG (CT5153)
11 Jan 51: Div dep PYONGGANG.
13 Jan 51: Div dep KUMHWA (CT6538)
14 Jan 51: Arr HWACHON (CT8618)
Note: Marching done only at night on dirt roads (principal) between TOKCHON and HWACHON.
15 Jan 51: Dep HWACHON. Marched E end followed trail along bank south side of HWACHON Reservoir.
17 Jan 51: Div arr YANGGU (DT1218), rested here till 23 Jan 51.
23 Jan 51: Dep YANGGU.
25 Jan 51: Div arr INJE (DT2714) by marching along mountain trail at night.
25 Jan 51 - 17 Feb 51: Div rested here. 20 days ration of rice given each man.
17 Feb 51: Dep INJE and headed toward HONGCHON on a dirt road (principal).
21 Feb 51: Bivouacked 20 km NE of HONGCHON.
22 Feb 51: Div withdrew NE on dirt road (principal) to DS1493 and followed a mountain trail to the E for approx 30 km and then marched S toward PYONGCHANG (DS4635).
26 Feb 51: Div arr at PYONGCHANG.
27 Feb 51: Div arr at NAHO-RI (DS6026), 48th Regt contacted UN Forces. Div withdrew to PYONGCHANG.
28 Feb 51: Div arr at PYONGCHANG. PW was not able to stay with the unit due to typhus and was left behind when the div retreated N.
3 Mar 51: Captured at PANGNIM-NI (DS4943)
b. Organization, Strength & Weapons: (strength as of 28 Feb, original strength in parenthesis)
| Unit: | Strength: | Weapons: | |
| 15th Div: | 45th Regt | 1,400 (2,100) | |
| 48th Regt | 1,400 (2,100) | ||
| 50th Regt | 1,400 (2,100) | ||
| Engr Bn | 5-600 | (Armed with Russ Rifles) | |
| Sig Co | 120-130 | (One receiver and transmitter set) | |
| Med Bn | |||
| Rcn Co | 130 | (Armed with PPsh SMG) | |
| 45th Regt: | 1,400 (2,100) | ||
| 1st Bn | 350 | ||
| 2d Bn | 350 | ||
| 3d Bn | 350 | ||
| Com Plat | 17-18 | (Armed with PPsh SMG) | |
| Med Co | 100 | ||
| Rcn Plat | 30 | (Armed with PPsh SMG) | |
| Ord unit | 27-28 | ||
| Supply Co | 120-130 | ||
| 1st Bn: | 1st Co (rifle co) | ||
| 2d Co (〃) | |||
| 3d Co (〃) | |||
| Mortar Co | 90 (130) | (w/12x82mm mortars) | |
| HMG Co | |||
| Med Plat | 12 | ||
| Supply Plat | 8 | ||
| Com Sqd | 13 | (Armed with Russ rifles) | |
| AT Rifle Plat | 26 | (w/12x14.5mm PTRS-1941 AT rifle) | |
| 45mm Mortar Plat | 27 | (no mortars) | |
| Rifle Co: | (3 rifle plat) | ||
| Plat | 23 (30) ea | (All armed with Russ rifles and 150 rd ea, 3 LMG, 4,000 rd ea; 2 grenades per man) | |
| HMG Plat | 18 (23) | (Russ rifle, 2 Maxim) | |
| HMG Co: | (3 Plat) | 52 (68) | (6 Maxim HMG w/4,000 rd each Co) |
| Plat | 14-16ea | ||
| Sqd (3 sqd ea plat) | 6-7 | (w/Russ rifles w/50 rd ea) | |
c. Intentions:
Primary intention was to advance to HONGCHON from INJE (DT2714) and take WONJU and advance to CHECHON.
Div received word that the UN Forces were in HONGCHON. Therefore Div withdrew to DS1493, marched on mountain trail to E for 30 km and then headed S, intending to attack CHECHON from the rear and cut off supply routes to WONJU.
d. Supply:
Food: Procured from villages.
Clothing: All issued winter clothing at TOKCHON. No resupply.
Ammo: No re-supply since leaving TOKCHON.
e. Casualties:
One third of Div lost due to typhus, typhoid, frostbite, and strafing by planes, according to Bn Political Off. Casualties were usually left behind.
f. Replacement:
None received.
g. Personalities:
CG, 15th Div: PAK, Won Huh, age 50, rank Maj Gen.
CO, 45th Regt: LIM, Won Sun, age 47, rank Col.
CO, 1st Bn: KIM, Yong Sok, age 36, rank Capt.
Ex Officer, 1st Bn: HONG, Gong Bom, age 40, rank Sr Lt.
h. Morale:
Very low among troops due to long marches over mountain roads, heavy loads on their backs, insufficient food, cold weather, and constant strafing by planes.
Troops were unable to sleep during the day due to the cold and were not allowed to build fires. Troops had no will to fight. 30 deserted during Jan-Feb 50 from 1st Bn.
i. Psychological Warfare:
Leaflets very effective both on officers and troops in breaking their will to fight.
Willing to surrender if he had a chance. Learned superiority of UN Forces by reading the leaflets. Political officers ignored these leaflets.
Does not know of his men reading leaflets.
Suggested that leaflets should cover North Korean casualties sustained by air attacks, since troops are not informed of the extent of danger from air attacks.
No friction between CCF and NKA.
j. MSR:
Obs 100 trucks between TOKCHON (BV7004) - KAECHON (YD4998), SUNCHON(YD5368), KOKSAN (29 km S of CV0309) - ICHON (CT1561), PYONGYANG (CT5153) - KUMHWA (CT3538) - HWACHON (CT8518), heading both ways.
Trucks going S were loaded with ammo, and trucks coming back carried the sick and wounded.
Observed 30 trucks at DS1387 (20 km NE of HONCCHON) 28 Jan 51. Mostly headed for HONGCHON. One truck passed by every 10-15 minutes. Loaded with ammo.
Ammo being shipped to TOKCHON (BV7004) by rail from MANPOJIN. Heard RR transportation is under operation between MANPOJIN and PYONGYANG.
k. Night Bombing:
8 Jan, 50th Regt was bombed with Napalm and strafed at CT5054 (1 km NW of PYONGYANG). 50 were WIA and KIA. Due to bombing and strafing by the planes, 4 houses were lost.
Troops were mere afraid of being strafed during the day then night. Only countermeasure was to freeze on the spot.
l. Additional Info:
Unit commanders were subject to courtmartial if they failed to arrive with their units at the appointed times at the appointed places. Penalty was one grade demotion.
For the AC of S, G-2:
MURANAKA
