ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 937 11 September 1950
FIELD REPORT (164 - LDI - 0745) 2 September 1950
1. PERSONAL DETAILS:| PW NAME: | LEE Tal Song (李達星) (리만성), S Korea conscript |
| PW NUMBER: | 63 NK 390 |
| RANK: | None |
| DUTY: | Ammo bearer |
| EDUCATION: | Primary School 6 yrs |
| OCCUPATION: | Dry-goods vendor |
| PLACE OF CAPTURE: | 4 km W of YANGICHON (楊枝村) (6 km South of HAMAN) |
| DATE OF CAPTURE: | 011000 K Sep 50 |
| UNIT: | Div unk, Regt unk, 3rd Bn, 8th Co |
| HOME ADDRESS: | SEOUL, CHUNGU, CHUKYO DONG, #58 |
| INTERROGATOR: | Sgt NAKAJI |
PW seemed sincere and spoke freely.
3. TACTICAL INFORMATION:Inducted 8 Jul 50 at SEOUL. Informant and 300 other South Koreans departed SEOUL on 15 Jul 50 end marched southward, passing through SUWON, PYONGTAEK, CHONAN, TAEJON, MUJU, CHINJU to SACH’ON. Arrived at SACH’ON on 20 Aug 50. At SACH’ON the men (17-27 yrs old) were assigned to N Korean units. Informant and 30 others were overage, so they were used as supply bearers. Informant deserted his unit and surrendered to US 5th RCT on 1 Sep 50, 4 km West of YANGICHON.
T/O & E of PW’s Unit:
No information.
Disposition of Above Units - 1 Sep 50:
8th Co located on a high mountain near YANGICHON. Company arrived here after marching through the mountains during the night of 31 Aug 50.
Estimated Strength of Above Unit:
8th Co was composed of 130 men armed with 6 x 7.62mm DP LMG (with six 47 rd drum magazines per LMG), 2 x 14.5mm PTRD AT rifles, 3 x 7.62mm PPsh tommy guns (two 72 rd drums per gun), unknown number of rifles (100 rds per rifle) and 6 handgrenades per plt. In addition 150 rds reserve rifle ammo was carried by ammo bearer.
Personalities:
No information.
Armor:
Three (3) T-34/85 tanks observed at CHINJU on 18 Aug 50. Tanks were waiting for a bridge to be repaired.
Artillery:
Three (3) 76mm guns observed 500 m NE of SACH'ON on 28 Aug 50. Approx 30 rounds of 75 urn anmo were seen here camouflaged with transplanted trees.
Food & Ammo Supply:
No incoming food supply. Troops lived off the land. South Koreans in captured villages were used to transport ammo. PW saw an ammo dump (about 2 truck-loads) located 500 m NE of SACH'ON camouflaged with transplanted trees. Surrounding area rice paddies.
Replacements, wounded personnel & stragglers:
Replacements - see personal history. A large hospital is located in a gold mine 4 km SE of SACH'ON.
Enemy intentions:
The mission of the 8th Co was to go to a mountain E of HAMAN by 2 Sep 50. Unit traveled through mountains to avoid detection. Carried rations for three days.
Morale:
Morale of the N Koreans was very high.
4. GENERAL:Civilian attitude:
S Korean civilians seem to have ill feeling toward North Koreans because of the heavy demands NK troops make on the populace.
Miscellaneous:
Plt leader stated that the following flares would be used when the general offensive begins: one white followed by two red flares: "attack the tank" - one red flars: "all out attack."
Special Intelligence:
During the past week a petition (believed to have been issued to all N Koreans) was signed on a voluntary basis by all soldiers of PW’s unit (everybody signed, naturally). This petition was to be submitted to UN. It reads in part: "Please keep the US from meddling in Korean affairs."
For the AC of S G-2
SAKAMOTO
