ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 1081 16 September 1950
FIELD REPORT (164 - LDI - 0830) 12 September 1950
1. PERSONAL DETAILS:| NAME: | PAK, Chang Yong (朴昌英) (박창영) |
| PW NO: | Unknown |
| RANK: | Sr Capt |
| AGE: | 27 |
| ORGANIZATION: | 15th Div (Code 775), SP Gun Bn (Code 793 APO 3726) Hq |
| DUTIES: | Communications Staff Officer |
| EDUCATION: | Primary School Grad, 1 yr at Postal Telegraph School |
| OCCUPATION: | Telegraph Operator |
| ADDRESS: | HAMGYONG NAMDO, CHONG PYONG-GUN, SHINSANG-MYON, SIYONG RI, #188 (咸鏡南道 定平郡 新上面 始靈里 188) |
| DATE AND PLACE OF CAPTURE: | 100900 Sep 50 at PUKAN (北安) 4 - 5 Km E of YONGCHON by ROK |
| INTERROGATOR: | R.L.M. |
Subject is very intelligent and willing to talk. He possesses fair knowledge along technical lines. Subject entered the Army not because he thought that the NK government was right, but because he knew he had to enter sooner or later, so he enlisted and tried to get as much out of it as possible. Subject is somewhat of a soldier of fortune.
Information very reliable.
3. T/O & E OF PW'S UNIT:An SP Gun Bn is composed of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd SP Gun Companies, a Sig Platoon and the Rear Services Section (Kitchen, Supply, etc).
Each SP Gun Company is composed of the 1st and 2nd SP Gun Plts.
Bn Hq consists of the C/S, Bn Sig Officer, Personnel Officer, and the Operations Officer.
PERSONNEL STRENGTH:
Lt Col - l
Maj - 3
Sr Capt - 7
Capt - 8
1st Lt - 7
2nd Lt - 0
Total Officers 26; Total EM - 84; Total Bn Strength 110
EQUIPMENT STRENGTH:
SU76 - 16
LMG - 16 (one man per gun)
SMG - 16 (one man per gun)
12 PW Wireless 16 (one man per gun}
PISTOLS - 46 (One per driver & one per officer)
ARMORED CAR - 1 (Bn Comdr)
43 TAN FIELD PHONE - 4 (Sig Plt)
RIFLES - 20 (Sig Plt & Rear Services)
TRUCK - 15
4. LOCATION OF ABOVE UNITS:The SP Gun Bn was completely destroyed at PW's place of capture.
The 15th Div, Arty Regt was completely destroyed on the same occasion.
The three (3) Inf Regiments were surrounded at a point just south of PW’s place of capture.
5. STRENGTH OF ABOVE UNITS:SP Gun Battalion - Annihilated
Arty Regiment - Annihilated
Three (3) Inf Regts.
6. PERSONAL & UNIT HISTORY:Entered 4th Bn (code 476), wireless Pit, 4 Oct 1948 at CHINAMPO.
Received l year trainingin sending and receiving messages.
Departed CHINNAMPO 1 Oct 49, went to PYONGYANG and entered the First military Academy (code 325 or 425) as a sqd ldr on 3 Oct 49. PW received signal training at this school units 1 Jan 50, at which time he graduated as a 2nd Lt.
Upon graduation, PW was transferred to the 15th Div (code 775), SP Gun Bn (code 793) at HOERYONG, arriving on 3 Jan 50.
The 15th Div departed HOERYONG by train on 20 June 50 detraining at CHORWON on 24 Jun 50.
The 15th Div crossed the 38th parallel on 26 June 50 and passed thru the following cities:
CHUNCHON
YOJU
UMSONG
KAESAN
MUNGYONG
SANGJU
UISONG
YONGCHON
The 15th Div arrived at YONGCHON o/a 9 Sep 50. Upon arriving at YONGCHON, there were only 2 x SU-76 remaining. All of the SU 76’s had been destroyed by aircraft prior to reaching YONGCHON.
At YONGCHON one of the two remaining SU-76’s was destroyed and one (1) was taken by the SK Army. The Arty Regt which was with the SP Gun Bn was also destroyed with all guns lost. The Div C/S was killed and many other high ranking officers were killed at PW's place of capture, PW surrendered at 100900 Sep 50. PW received a leg wound in the process of being captured.
7. PERSONALITIES:Brig Gen PAK, Song Chul; CG of 15th Division
Sr Col KIM, Chon, Division I & E Officer
Sr Col KIM You, Division C/S (killed at YONGCHON).
8. FOOD & AMMO SUPPLY:Food and ammo was brought form North KOREA by truck. Subject claims they were fortunate if one or two trucks came in a week.
9. INTENTION:The 15th Division was to go to KYONGJU after taking YONGCHON.
10. MISCELLANEOUS:The SU-76’s can and do, become attached to inf units if the need arises. In the event that an infantry-SP Gun unit becomes constituted, the C.O. of the unit to which the SP Gun unit is attached assumes over-all command.
The SP Gun crews are trained at PYONGYANG at the tank school.
The maximum range of the SU-76 is about 10 Km. Rate of fire is 2 or 3 rounds per minute, depending upon the gunner.
Type of ammo was HE Shrapnel and armor piercing. Time fuzes were not used. Each gun carries about 15 armor piercing and about 40 - 45 HE shrapnel shells. In the event that the ammunition becomes completely expended, ammo may be drawn from the 76mm Gun Bn with Division.
Very little firing was done because the unit only traveled at night. All fire was controlled by the gun commander.
The guns are never dug in. Trees, bushes etc, are used for camouflage.
Security forces are not used in the position area.
Communication between guns is with wireless; within the division with runners.
The guns are fired only at a standstill.
Completely loaded for combat, the piece weighs 11 tons.
The 12 PTM wireless in each gun has a range of about 20 Km.
The guns use aviation gas. After 3 Sep 50 the fuel supply was cut off completely.
On a smooth road the piece can do 40 Km per hour.
The barrel from a truck-drawn 76mm can be interchanged with the barrel of a SU 76 if the need arises. However, it was never done because of the lack of necessary tools and time element involved.
The easiest way to destroy an SU 76 is to drop a hand grenade in through the top, which is always open. If this is done all persons within the gun will be killed.
No medical equipment carried on the guns.
The only Self-Propelled Gun of the North Koreans is the SU 76.
When the guns are camouflaged, the gun crews disperse in the immediate area. No one stays in the tank. If the gun is fired upon by planes while in movement, the crew stops the gun, and everyone runs and hides. In one incident where some guns were destroyed, the crews were shipped to KYONGSONG to be assigned to other. divisional SPG Bn’s.
There are no new guns to replace those which are lost.
The SU 76’s are not transferred from Div to Division.
FOR THE AC OF S, G-2
SAKAMOTO
