ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 922 9 September 1950
FIELD REPORT (ADVATIS - 0707) 4 September 1950
1. PERSONAL DETAILS:| PW NAME: | WON Hong Ki (元鴻基) (원홍기) |
| RANK: | Jr Lt |
| AGE: | 23 |
| DUTY: | Plt ldr |
| UNIT: | 17th Armored Div, 2nd Bn, 1st Co, 2nd Plt |
| EDUCATION: | Primary School (6 yrs) |
| OCCUPATION: | Laborer |
| PLACE OF CAPTURE: | 2 km NNW SINNYONG by ROK troops |
| DATE OF CAPTURE: | 3 Sep 50 |
| HOME ADDRESS: | KANGWON DO, KOSONG GUN, CH’ANGCH’ON MYON, CH’ANGCH’ON RI, #44 (江原道 高城郡 長蕆面 長蕆里 四四番地) |
| INTERROGATOR: | Sgt HAYASHIDA (ATIS) |
Subject was cooperative but not well informed. No attempts at evasion were made. Reliability fair.
3. TACTICAL INFORMATION:Date inducted: 10 Nov 46 at CH’ANGCH’ON-MYON.
Trng & Movements:
10 Nov 46 - ? Oct 47: CHONJU (定州), 2nd Regt, 1st Div received infantry trng. 1st Regt situated SINUIJU, 3rd Regt KAECH’ON (价川), Div Hqs KAECH’ON, Div Arty situated SINUIJU. Strength 2nd Regt approx 2,500 men.
Oct 47 - Oct 48: P'YONGYANG, 2nd Regt moved from CHONJU Oct 47. Disposition other units 1st Div unchanged. Received inf trng.
Oct 48 - 28 Oct 49: CHINNAMP’O (鎭南浦), assigned as cadre NCO to newly organized 4th Div. Only 1,500 men drafted into 4th Div as of Oct 49. Regt’l organization still not completed.
1 Nov 49: P'YONGYANG - Assigned to tank training regt, 1st Bn. There were 3 bns in the tank trng Regt. Strength each bn approx 300 men. This was the only tank trng regt in N. KOREA at that time.
1 Nov 49 - 23 Jun 50: Received tank trng with above unit. Practical training conducted with 10 x T/34-85 tanks. Training received included tank tactics, method of driving tank, method of firing guns, method of communications within tank. No training on tank repair.
Description of T-34/85:
| Length of chassis: | 6.12 m |
| Overall width : | 3 m |
| Total height : | 2.20 m |
| Width of tracks : | 40 ems |
| Transmission : | 5 or 4 speeds (5 forward speeds and one reverse, or 4 forward & one reverse) |
Description of T-34/85:
| Maximum speed : | 55 km ph |
| Cruising speed : | 30 km ph |
| Fuel : | Diesel - cap: 540 liters |
| Combat range w/full tank : | Unknown |
| Turret armor front : | 90 mm) |
| Rear : | 70 mm ) Tapers to rear |
| Side : | 75 mm ) |
| Chassis armor front : | 45 mm |
| Side : | 45 mm |
| Rear : | 40 mm |
| Bottom : | 20 mm |
| Ammunition : | 5 armor piercing AT (300mm at 1000 m) 30 anti-personnel HE shells 20 armor piercing HE shells |
| Fordability : | 3 m with exhaust and intake pipes. Tanks may be completely submerged. Grease used to keep water out. |
No instruction received on tank maintenance.
23 Jun 50: 86 x T-34/85 tanks arrived by rail at the P’YONGYANG Tank Trng Regt. Tanks came directly from RUSSIA (Hearsay). Tanks were now new but had been completely reconditioned to include new engines and guns.
16th and 17th Armored Divisions organized of the men trained by the Tank Trng Regt. Tank division organized of 2 tank bns and a rear echelon company.
Organization Tank Battalion:
4 x tank companies, ea Co 25 men and 5 tanks
Each co has one tank repairman.
5 x tank repair trucks (extent of repair capability unknown)
1 Fuel truck
17th Armored Div strength, 300 men, 43 tanks.
16th Armored Div strength, 300 men, 43 tanks.
Division Cmdr has one tank.
23 Jun 50: Commenced field training using tanks. Principally for familiarization purposes. 16th Armored Tank Div dispatched to front, location unknown.
23 Aug 50: 17th Armored Div departed P’YONGYANG by rail, with tanks.
29 Aug 50: Entire division arrived P'YONGUN-NI (平恩里) by rail at 0300 hrs. No incidents enroute from P’YONGYANG. Tanks unloaded from flat care by 0400. All tanks driven to P'YONGUN-NI and camouflaged. Entire division rested until 1800. Tanks had all necessary supplies and full fuel tanks. 1800, 2nd Bn departed P'YONGUN-NI in single column. 1st Bn remained P'YONGUN-NI. Objective 2nd Bn was to support 8th Inf Div in taking SINNYONG (新寧). 1st Bn was to follow 2nd Bn a day later.
o/a 30 Aug 50: 2nd Bn arrived ANDONG. Sustained night air attack shortly after leaving P'YONGUN-NI but no tanks destroyed.
o/a 1 Sep 50: 2nd Bn arrived UISONG (義城). Some tanks, number unknown, developed difficulties and were delayed enroute.
o/a 2 Sep 50: 2nd Bn arrived UIHUNG (義興). Some tanks, number unknown, developed trouble and were delayed. No incidents.
3 Sep 50: 10 tanks 2nd Bn arrived 2 Ian NNW SINNYONG at 0300 (other tanks delayed enroute). At this point, there was a 10 meter bridge, 3 of the leading tanks managed to cross bridge. When the 4th tank in the column tried to cross, the bridge collapsed. Remaining tanks, unable to cross, were camouflaged on the shoulders of the road immediately north of the bridge. 3 tanks which crossed the bridge were camouflaged, An attempt was made to get the 4th tank out of the ditch, At this time, subject was sappers of the 8th Diy clearing the road of mines south of the bridge, At about 0300, ROK arty shells began to fall in the area, The barrage lasted until 1500; 4 tanks, the three which crossed the bridge and the 4th which was bogged in the river, were demolished. The tanks did not return tire. Subject was in one of the tanks which were destroyed. When ROK troops called upon them to surrender, subject did so. Subject did not see any troops of the 8th Div in the area except for the sappers, Subject heard that the 8th Div had advanced south to SINNYONG. No word was heard about the remaining tanks of the 2nd Bn or deployment of the 1st Tank Bn.
The tanks were not refueled since leaving P'YONGUN-NI on 27 Aug 50. On 3 Sep 50, subject’s tank had 108 liters of fuel left. Subject heard that fuel trucks were moving up, No details. No reserve supplies were brought from P'YONGYANG.
Unit Capabilities:
Morale: The morale of 17th Armored Tank Div was not exceptionally high but neither was it low. The men were very obedient to orders and were ready to die if necessary since the men were told that they would be killed it captured.
Unit Strength: 17th Div
| Original | Present (As of 3 Sop) |
| 1st Bn - 21 tanks, 300 men | 21 tanks, 300 men |
| 2nd Bn - 21 tanks, 300 men | 17 tanks, 200 men |
Code numbers: No information,
Personalities:
| Name: | U Pong Hak (우봉학) |
| Rank: | Maj |
| Age: | 24 |
| Position: | Bn CO, 2nd Bn, 17th Armored Div |
| Name: | KIM Kum Chin (김금진) |
| Rank: | Capt |
| Age: | 22 |
| Position: | Co CO, 1st Co, 2nd Bn |
| Name: | CHONG Kwang (정광) |
| Rank: | Col |
| Age: | 26 |
| Position: | C of S, 17th Armored Div Formerly with the CCF |
PW stated 105th Armored Div was located in T’AEGU.
For the Commanding Officer
WEELDREYER
Executive
