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보/고/서

ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 3339　13 February 1951

FIELD REPORT (IX CORPS LDI - 0227)　27 January 1951

PW seemed cooperative and information is considered fairly reliable. PW was not able to tell direction accurately. Not recommended for further interrogation.

The 50th Div (Code No: 150 Div) was composed of the 448th, 449th, 450th (Code No: 50th Bn) Regt. The 450th Inf Regt (1,500 men) was composed of 1st, 2nd (Code No: Volunteer 2nd Bn), and 3rd Rifle BN. 2nd Rifle Bn (approx 450 men) consisted of 3 Rifle Co and Hvy Wpn Co. There were about 110 in each Rifle Co and 130 in Hvy Wpn Co. The 5th Co (Code No: 6th Combat Unit) was composed of 3 Plat, Co strength being 114 men.

50th Army entered KOREA late Oct 50 through ANTONG. At SINUIJU the Army was separated, each Div travelling separately and follow the 38th Army. About 7 days after entering KOREA, Div had a minor skirmish with enemy stragglers, but no casualty resulted. PW 2nd Bn acted as a recon unit for 50th Div, with mission to clear and process stragglers, find abandoned enemy weapons and cached ammunition, and at the same time look for food in abandoned villages as 38th Army advanced forward. Actual route taken unk, due to unfamiliarity with places and names. PW remembered by-passing P’YONGYANG o/a 4 Jan 51 and the outskirt of SEOUL o/a 11 Jan 51, following the main road. Bn walked across HAN River 112200 Jan 51, laying straw over the frozen river. PW believed they crossed the river vic (CS3659). Following trails, they reached a main road after about a 400 meter march. Two days later, after crossing HAN River, 2nd Bn was approx 40 km south of river, where it engaged enemy stragglers briefly. 3 to 4 casualties resulted. O/a 18 Jan 51, Bn reached mountain approx 400 meters from YANGJI-RI. For 2 days, during daylight, they dug caves at foot of mountain for sleeping quarters. Every night, after caves were dug, Co was dispatched to mountain approx 800 meters west of YANGJI-RI, returning at daybreak, to the former mountain where Bn CP was located. 25 Jan 51, Co went to the mountain on guard as usual; but the next morning PW stayed behind about 10 minutes after his unit left because of stomach ailment. As PW was returning to Bn area along main road, he was captured by E Co, 8th Cav.

PW Bn CP was located at an unk mountain loc approx 400 meters north of YANGJI-RI 26 Jan 51. At foot of mountain, caves, which were about 3 m in depth and could hold 7 or 8 men, were dug. Bn CP was loc in one of these caves. All the companies were in the vic Bn CP. They also used the caves, but during daylight only. Entrances to caves were camouflaged with vegetation or mats. At night, all companies were dispatched to various hills in the vicinity on security duty. PW Co was dispatched to mountain approx 800 m west of YANGJI-RI, adjacent to a main road.

PW has no idea of the whereabouts of Regt or other Bn CP, however, he believes they are within an area of 8 square km.

Defense line: Bn Co ordered each Co to dig foxholes on the respectively assigned hills, more or less in line with each other. None as yet had been dug.

5th Co had:

70 Jap model 38 rifles - 80 rd ea

3 Automatic rifles 2x60mm mortars - 20 rd ea

4 LMG Hand grenades - 1 to 4 per man

Hvy Wpn Co had:

4x82mm mortars - unk

4 HMG - unk

50 Jap model 38 rifles - 60 rd ea

PW believed other Co similarly armed. Bn received last supply of ammunition prior to entering KOREA.

No supply of food or clothing has come in to unit.

Troops looted food from villages in quantities insufficient to sustain them.

New supplies of ammo, food, and equipment were expected to reach his unit before offensive starts.

PW Bn CO stated that unit will remain in present position until around 6 Feb 51, which opens the New Year by the moon calendar. He further stated that the beginning of spring (5 Feb 51) will mark the offensive, with Chinese airplanes providing ground support.

WANG, Ja Sang (王■山), 50th Div CG.

WANG, (fnu) (王), about 30, 450th Regt CO.

NYE, Bin Kun(聶炳坾), 24, 2nd Bn CO.

FU, Tu Yung(富徳榮), 23, 5th Co CO.

YANG, So Hwa(楊紹華), 26, 2nd Plat Ldr.

Morale among EM is very low because of insufficient food; most of them are suffering from frostbite, and would desert from the unit if they were not in a foreign country.

PW had been told by superiors that if he was captured he would be killed. The political officer told PW and others that US troops are withdrawing from KOREA, and the NKA guerrillas behind UN troops are so active that the UN supply line is already cut off. Therefore, the CCF troops should have no fear of UN troops.

There were about 10 CCF troops who could speak Korean and they were used to reconnoiter for information and disposition of the enemy in civilian Korean clothing.

For the AC of S, G-2: