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ATIS-ALLIED TRANSLATOR & INTERPRETER SECTION-FEC

ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 2400　27 November 1950

FIELD REPORT (521 - MIS Det Special Report)　20 November 1950

　　　　　　　 (Incorporating 163 - MIS Det 0165 and supplement)

PW had one year of education but was particularly intelligent. He joined the Chinese Nationalist Army in 1943 and was captured by the CCF in December 1949 in PEIPING with FU TZO YI's troops. He was once a 2nd Lieutenant in a guerilla unit with the Chinese Nationalist Army but did not reveal this information to the CCF.

He was first assigned to the 372nd Regiment in the Military Police Company for approximately four months but was reassigned to a combat company because he expressed the wrong views to the unit political instructor who told him his thoughts were those of the Nationalist Party and sent him to prison for 15 days.

PW was assigned as an ammunition carrier in the Mortar Platoon. No military training was given. Each squad had two Communist members who operated the 60mm mortars. The squad consisted of eleven members. No former Chinese Nationalist Army member was permitted to operate either the machine guns or the mortars.

42nd Army Commander was named WU (吳) (FNU).

Army consists of four divisions; the 124th, 125th, 126th, and the 155th. PW stated that the 155th Division was part of the 42nd Army when it fought against the Nationalist troops early in 1949 at ANYANG, HONAN PROVINCE and has been part of the 42nd Army ever since. The men were told at a lecture by the regimental political advisor at TUNGHWA that the 155th Division was part of the 42nd Army and was equipped with many heavy artillery pieces. About 1 Nov 50 PW asked the Company Commander why the 155th Division is not using its artillery and was told that the equipment was too heavy to be moved over the rough terrain. The PW personally talked to soldiers from the 155th Division while the 42nd Army was at HAILUM in the HEILUNG-KIANG PROVINCE approximately five months age, but had not seen anyone from that Division since.

124th Div CO was SU Ke Chih (蘚克艺) (Other Division Commander's names unknown).

The 124th Division consists of three Infantry Regiments; the 370th, 371st and the 372nd. PW stated that one Artillery Regiment is attached to the 124th Division at present, but has not been committed to action.

PW stated that the 370th Regiment was on the left flank of the road, approximately three miles from the power plant at CHOSHIN Reservoir. The 371st Regiment was on the right flank of the road approximately the same distance away from the power plant. The 372nd Regiment was at the vicinity of the power plant. The Artillery Regiment attached to the Division was located approximately 20 miles behind the reservoir.

On 3 November 1950, the 372nd Regiment was stationed at the vicinity of the CHOSHIN Reservoir; the Bn received word early in the morning that American troops were advancing on the east flank around and behind the reservoir and would surround the 126th Division which was approximately 60 miles behind the reservoir. The 372nd Regiment, therefore, was ordered to move to the rear to assist the 126th Division. The regiment moved to the rear at dark on 3 November 1950 and arrived in the morning of 4 November 1950. Four US planes attacked the Regiment on 4 November 1950; there were some casualties. On 4 November 1950, at night, the 126th Division was not attacked by the US troops so the Regiment returned to the Reservoir area.

On the night of 5 November 1950, the 371st Regiment was on the West side of the road, the 370th Regiment was on the East side and the 372nd Regiment was in Division Reserve status by the power installation. Americans (7th Marines) made an attack around the West flank and the 372nd Regiment went to block the move. The Americans withdrew to the next hill and brought artillery and planes to bear on the 372nd Regiment.

PW stated that the 372nd Regiment did not go into action but retreated in a disorganized manner. Approximately one half of the PW's company was killed. PW and 12 others remained in the area because they did not wish to return to the CCF; however, on 7 November 1950, all of the soldiers were afraid to become PW's because they were led to believe that they would be killed by the Americans if captured so they decided to move up the hill and disguise themselves as civilians if possible. PW, with another, decided to come down the hill and surrender. They both know that they would not be killed by Americans, as they had seen a American troops in China.

It is the PW's definitely stated opinion that combined infantry, air and artillery attacks caused 1,500 casualties in his Regiment on the 5th and 6th of November and that at least 500 deserted during that time and disappeared in the hills hunting for civilian clothes.

PW stated that all three Regiments have retreated to the rear. He does not know whether any forces are still in the vicinity of the reservoir at the present. PW has talked to men of the 370th and 371st Regiments on 5 November who stated that casualty rates among the two Regiments were high. Many soldiers have already deserted the unit and are hiding in the hills because they have lost contact with their units and are afraid that they would be killed if captured.

PW stated that when the 124th Division pulled back, there could be no more than 3,000 of the original 12,500 effectives left as a group.

Approximately then days ago, the unit Political instructor had told them there were 9 Russian Tanks manned by the NK's around the vicinity of the CHOSHIN Reservoir but three were already destroyed by the Americans.

PW saw two tanks on 4 November 1950 camouflaged and located approximately 10 miles behind the power plant in front of a concrete bridge.

The 42nd Army was stationed at HAILUN in HEILUNG-KIANG PROVINCE from 5 April 1950 to Jun 1950. In June 1950, the Army moved to TUNGHWA, LIAOTUNG PROVINCE and remained there approximately three months. Only political indoctrination was given to the units while at the TUNGWHWA station. The Army left from TUNGHWA approximately 21 days ago (October 1950) by train and departed CHINA from CHIAN. The Army remained at CHIAN for two days before crossing the YALU River.

PW stated that, crossing the YALU River with the 42nd Army, were about 50 Korean speaking Chinese who were to be used as espionage agents. These people were dressed in black trousers, blue blouses and wore white kerchiefs on their heads. They had bicycles and were given the mission of passing through US lines as civilians to find out order of battle information and UN troop dispositions in the CCF sector of operations.

PW stated that during his stay at CHIAN, he washed his clothes in the YALU River and at that time, saw over 100 American POW's washing clothes on the Korean side of the YALU River. They were wearing American uniforms and appeared to be in good health.

The next evening while passing through MANPOJIN, he saw four (4) Americans walking down the main street with two (2) prisoner chasers. PW stated that the stockade was located on a hill, 300 yards NNW of the main part of MANPOJIN. The American PW's are in a barracks area surrounded by an electrical fence formerly built by the Japanese.

The PW has no knowledge of the whereabouts of the 125th Division, but believed that the 155th Artillery Division is in reserve probably behind the 126th Division, approximately 60 miles on the North end of the CHOSHIN Reservoir.

PW stated that prior to their departure from CHINA, the Regimental political advisor lectured the entire Regiment and told them that the CCF were to fight against the South Koreans, Japanese and Chinese Nationalist. They were told that there would be no Americans, planes, artillery or mortars, and the fight would be easy. They were told that six CCF Armies would take part in this campaign with the 40th and the 39th Armies on the south-west, the 42nd and 38th on the south-east (no mention of the other two Armies). PW stated that the 38th Army was at CHIAN when his unit departed for KOREA. They were told at the lecture that the 40th Army and the 39th Army would depart from ANTUNG.

PW's unit (5th Rifle Co) was equipped with three 60mm mortars, six light Machine Guns, and approximately 120 Japanese rifles. 80 per cent of the soldiers in the unit have no desire to fight and do not like the CCF because of the rigid discipline. Approximately 70 per cent were former members of the Chinese Nationalist Army.

In initial interrogation PW stated that the following code numbers and names of the 42nd Army were told to him by his squad leader who received it through command channels while the unit was at TUNGHWA, but when reinterrogated at X Corps stated that the codes used by the 124th Division were told to all men in his company by the unit political instructor at a lecture several days prior to their departure from CHINA (Exact date and location unknown - probably at TUNGHWA). They were told that for security purpose such codes would be used and units would not be identified by number while in KOREA. PW belives at least 50% of the soldiers do not remember the codes.

While in CHINA PW's identification tag showed the unit as "42nd Army, 124th Division, 372nd Regt, 2nd Bn, 5th Company, (Soldier's Name)". This tag was removed and taken away by the Company Commander while the unit was enroute to CHINAN.

Leading positions in the regimental headquarters had a code number. Following number were used in the 372nd Regt in CHINA since approximately eight months ago and PW believes they are still the same.

PW stated that other regiments have different code numbers and they are unknown to him. The purpose of using the code number is to avoid Nationalist Agents knowing the exact positions held by officers. Officers from Battalion down do not have a code name or number. PW does not know what code, if any, is used by higher headquarters personnel.

PW was shown a code number used by the 126th Division but was not able to identify it. He stated he had no knowledge of the code system used by other division.

Troops were not permitted to write home since their arrival in KOREA and had received no letters.

The characters in the motto "PAO WEI CHUN SHIH CHIEH HO P'ING" (保衛全世界和平) (Preserve World Freedom) is used to identify each Regiment. PW only knows that the first three characters are used within the 124th Division; other code names unknown. PW stated that these names were not widely used because the majority of the soldiers do not remember them and usually refer to the units as 371st or 372nd, etc., as were known to them while stationed in CHINA.

PW stated that the general public in Communist CHINA are holing that Americans would soon come to their rescue and fight on CHINA soil for their freedom.

For the AC of S, G-2: