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보/고/서

ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 4396

FIELD REPORT (ADVATIS 0100)　29 October 1950

Very cooperative. Estimate of distances and directions good. Detailed information is lacking due to the fact that PW had to technical knowledge of steel mills, and only entered the HETZ KUNGS Steel Mill three times. Reliability – good.

Moved to MINGSHAN-T’ING (明山町), PENCHIHU (本溪湖), MANCHURIA in September 44. He worked for one year as an office clerk at the International Express Co, operated by a Japanese named SAKAI near PENCH’IHU Station.

Left PENCHIHU City 20 Aug 45 to return to his profession as a photographer in SEOUL, KOREA.

METE EUNGS (BAITETSU KONSU, KANJI UNK) STEEL MILL in PENCH’IHU (本溪湖市) MANCHURIA

OBSERVATION: Observed this steel mill nearly everyday at 0900 and 1700 hours while enroute to and from work at the International Express Co. located 500m E of the PENCH’IHU Railroad station. Period of observation was from Sep 44 to Aug 45. He entered the steel mill three times during the above period.

Name of Plant – METE KUNGS (BAITETSU MONSU)

The steel mill was located in PENCHIHU and was comprised of plants #1 and #2 situated on both sides of an unidentified river which flowed from NE to SW. This river had numerous sand bars and was 200m to 300m wide. Actual width of flow was about 70m. Water was up to 2m deep.

The blast furnaces of Plant #1 were located 2km E of the foot of TEISAN MT (Iron Mine), 1km N of the unidentified river, and 500m S of the PENCHIHU RR Station. Blast furnaces of the #2 Plant were located 500m S of the river, 1km SW of the Kungyen RR Station and 4km SSW of the #1 Plant blast furnaces. A 4km long single track railroad linked plant #1 with Plant #2. Plant #1 was situated on an undulating treeless terrain in a valley between mountain ranges to the west and north terrain at Plant #2 was flat (see sketch). A special steel mfg plant was located 500m SW of the Steel mill (Hearsay).

Plant #1 covered an area roughly estimated at 1km x 500m. Dimensions of Plant #2 were believed to be 1km x 1km. Points listed on the area sketch of the steel mill drawn by the PW are described as followings:

Point#1 – Three-story office building of cement construction, flat roof, 20m high. Further details unknown.

Point#2 – Three story office building of concrete construction, flat roof, located 100m from Point#1.

Point#3 – Three or four one and three story, concrete buildings with gabled black zinc roofs, dimensions of each 20m x 10m x 5m to 15m high. These buildings were believed to house the one processing and metal rolling plants. Three concrete smokestacks were observed. Two of the smokestacks measured 1m in diameter and 40m in height. The largest smokestack was approximately 2m in diameter and 60m high. Distance between the smokestacks was about 20m.

Point#4 – Three steel cylindrical blast furnaces, diameter at the base 2m, height of each 15m. Iron ore and anthracite were brought by push carts and hopper on railroad spurs. Further details unk.

Point#5 – Three-story thermoelectric power plant (?), concrete construction, flat roof, located 500m S of the blast furnaces. A concrete smokestack 1m in diameter protruded 20m above the roof. Two boilers each 6m in diameter and 15m high were observed between points #5 and #6. No transformers were observed. Dimensions of building – 30m x 10m x 20m.

Point#6 – Three one story warehouses with slate gabled roofs, cement construction, dimensions of each 15m x 6m x 10m.

Point#7 – One-story guardhouse, tile gabled roof, brick construction. 5m x 5m x 6m.

Point#8 – Approximately 100 dwelling houses of Chinese farmers, merchants and workers of the steel mill. This dwelling area was located 2km N of the KUNGYEN Railroad station.

Point#9 – Approximately twenty, one-story brick buildings with gabled roofs, believed to have housed steel mill workers. Five of the buildings had steel refining equipment.

Point#10 – Five office buildings and warehouses of brick construction, dimensions unknown.

Point#11 – Thirty dwelling houses for mill workers and about twenty plant installations, all of brick construction. Details unknown.

Point#12 – Four steel cylindrical blast furnaces, diameter 2m, height 15m.

Point#13 – Ten warehouses and steel refining installations, all of brick construction, gabled roofs. Materials and steel were transported on horse carts, trucks and RR freight cars. There were 100 horse carts of 1 ton capacity at the mill.

Main type of fuel was anthracite brought from shaft coal mines located 10km NE and 20km E of the KUNGYEN RR Station. Quantity of consumption, unknown. Source of iron one was the iron mine located on TEISAN Mountain, 2km W of Plant#1.

PRODUCTS: Unknown

The steel mill employed 10,000 workers, 90% of whom were Chinese living in MINZAN, KUNGYEN, PENOHI HU and outlying districts of MUKDEN (奉天). 8% of the workers were Japanese technicians. 2% were Korean office clerks.

1. The METE KUNGS Mill was reputed to have been the second largest steel mill in MANCHURIA, ranking next to the ANSHAN (■安) Steel Mill.

2. The METE KUNGS Mill was bombed once by three B-29s at 1100 hr. O/a 20 Jun 45, four bombs were dropped, but the steel mill continued normal operations. Only one small shed was destroyed. Number of casualties: 4 dead.

3. Population as of Aug 45 was estimated as follows:

KUMGYEN: 30,000 – 5% Japanese, 2% Koreans, 93% Manchurians

PENHSIHU: 30,000 – 10% Japanese, 3% Koreans, 87% Manchurians

MINZAN: 1,000 – (percentage unknown)

4. Heard from a Korean repatriate in Sep 45, that the METE KUNGS Mill was occupied by the CCF. Bridges pinpointed on area sketch of METE KUNGS Steel Mill in PENHSIHU City. Dimensions of bridges are as listed on the sketch. Distances are as follows:

Bridge A: Located 2km NE of KUNGYEN RR Station and 2km S of PENHSIHU RR Station

Bridge B: 400m W of Bridge A

Bridge C: 2km W of Bridge B

Bridge D: 1km E or Bridge A. 400m NE of the MINZAN RR Station.

The river froze to a depth of 40cm from the middle of November to the middle of February. No river craft, other than small ferry boats, were observed on the river during the summer season.

For the Commanding Officer:

LEGEND:

Point#1 – 3 story Office Building

Point#2 – 3 story Office Building

Point#3 – Processing Plants

Point#4 – Blast Furnaces

Point#5 – Power plant

Point#6 – Warehouses

Point#7 – Guardhouse

Point#8 – Residential Section

Point#9 – Residential Section

Point#10 – Office and Warehouse Buildings

Point#11 – Dwellings and Installations

Point#12 – Blast Furnaces

Point#13 – Warehouses and Steel Refining Installation

DISTANCES:

MINGSHAN to KUNYUAN – 3km

KUNYUAN to PENCH’IHU – 4km

BRIDGES:

a. Railroad bridge steel truss multi-span. 300m long, 5m wide, 3m high (above water level).

b. Highway bridge, concrete viaduct, 250m long, 4m wide, 8m high above water level.

c. RR spur bridge, type and dimension, unknown.

d. Curved RR bridge, steel deck Warren Truss, 200m long, 3 ½m wide, 6m above water level.

AREA SKETCH OF METS KUNGS STEEL MILL IN PENCH’IHU CITY, MANCHURIA AS OF AUG 1945