ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 1453 29 September 1950
FIELD REPORT (ADVATIS - 0907) 26 September 1950
1. PERSONAL DETAILS:| PW NAME: | SIN Chang Gom (申長劍) (신장검) |
| PW NUMBER: | None |
| RANK: | Lt (中尉) |
| AGE: | 30 |
| DUTY: | Co Executive |
| UNIT: | 849th Regt, 57mm AT Bn, 3rd Co |
| EDUCATION: | Primary School (2 yrs) |
| OCCUPATION: | Farmer |
| PLACE OF CAPTURE: | 4 km NW of WAEGWAN (1130-1450) |
| DATE OF CAPTURE: | 21 Sep 50 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH: | HWANGHAE DO, PYONGSAN GUN (黃海道 平山郡) |
| HOME ADDRESS: | HAMGYUNG NAMDO, P’UNGSAN GUN, ANSAN MYON, HWANGSU WON NI (咸鏡南道 平山郡 安山面 黃水院里) |
| INTERROGATOR: | KAJIWARA (FEAF) |
This PW was appointed as acting company executive officer from the rank of Pvt. He stated that he was picked because of his ability to cook. All that was required of an Executive officer in a company was mess supervision and handling supplies. Actually, this PW was told he was an acting company executive officer, but is still a Pvt as far as records concerned. He was cooperative and seemed to talk freely. No further interrogation recommended.
3. TACTICAL INFORMATION:Chronology:
| 11 Jul 50: | Inducted into the NKPA at P’YONGYANG. Received 3 days basic training. Remained in P’YONGYANG for one month digging foxholes and doing other menial work. |
| 8 Aug 50: | Left P’YOUNGYANG for SARIWON (沙里院) by train. En-route to SARIWON PW was told he was in the 849th Regt, Arty Bn. |
| 12 Aug 50: | Left SARIWON by train for SEOUL. Enroute to SEOUL they were detained in a tunnel 8 km N of SEOUL by US air attack which blocked the southern exit of the tunnel PW’s Bn cleared the tunnel exit. |
| 2 Sep 50: | Detrained at P’UNGGI (豊基). PW stated the train traveled only at night. During the day the train stayed within tunnels. Often the train waited in tunnels until bombed bridges were repaired. PW remembers two strafing attacks, but exact location could not be remembered. Two men, including the PW’s Ass’t company commander, were wounded and one RR guard was killed. PW became acting Ass’t Co Commander. Both strafing attacks were received when the tunnel could hold only a portion on the train. |
| o/a 5 Sep 50: | Arrived at ANDONG by truck. The Bn detained in ANDONG for several days due to the bad condition of the road south of ANDONG. |
| In ANDONG & USSONG PW saw about 2,000 wounded NKPA troops lining both sides of the streets. These wounded were supposedly waiting for transportation to the SEOUL Hospital. | |
| o/a 12 Sep 50: | Arrived by truck in OKSAN DONG (玉山洞) and then moved to KUMCH’ON (金泉). |
| o/a 13 Sep 50: | Arrived in KUMCH’ON. The Bn arrived in KUNCH’ON one day prior to the other elements of the 849th Regt. |
| o/a 14 Sep 50: | The PW’s Bn arrived in NAM MYON (南面) 6 km SE of KUMCH’ON on the main road to WAEGWAN. At NAM MYON the Bn joined the main elements of the 849th Regt. Here the PW was told they were to be attached to the 105th Tank Division. At NAM MYON PW’s Bn lost five (5) trucks and five (5) 57mm AT guns from strafing and rocket attacks by US fighters. No casualties during this attack. |
| 21 Sep 50: | Arrived in YAKMOK (若木) with the remaining four (4) trucks and four (4) 57mm guns. The Regt was to follow the AT Bn. At YAKMOK, about 6 km NW of WAEGWAN, the PW’s 57mm Gun Bn emplaced three pieces and left one at the side of the hill. The three pieces which were emplaced and supposedly camouflaged was strafed and NAPAIM bombed by US aircraft. The ammo near the guns exploded and the unit lost all three pieces. After the guns were lost the PW ordered the men in his company to dig foxholes. Then he gathered the UN surrender leaflets from his men and told 25 men that were with him at that time to follow him and surrender. The company commander had been killed by a shell fragment. PW AND 25 of his men went to a point about 4 km NW of WAEGWAN and surrendered to US troops. Immediately thereafter other troops from the PW’s Bn followed suit and a total of 80 men surrendered. PW claims he is a Christian and knew that the US troops would treat them well. |
Organization & Strength:
849th Independent Regt was composed of the following:
1. An AT Bn which had an original strength of 126 men. The AT Bn was composed of 3 Cos with 47 men in each.
2. Service Bn (重幹大隊) consisted of a Engineer Company, a AT Gun platoon and a HMG Co.
Equipment:
The original number of pieces in the AT Bn was 9 x 57mm AT guns. Each man in the Arty Bn carried a carbine.
Other Units:
In the area of the PW’s capture PW knew that the 105th Tank Division was in the area. On 18 and 19 Sep 50 he saw about twenty (20) burned out tanks. He saw only two (2) tanks in good condition and they were moving to the rear. At time of PW’s capture the tank Div was in the NAMMYON Area.
Intentions:
The 849th Regt’s objective was to join the 105th Tank Div and take TAEGU. PW believes his Regt was annihilated.
Personalities:
3rd Co Cmdr: YU Ho Bong (유호봉), Lt. Killed at NAMMYON.
Morale and Propaganda:
Morale was low because they were constatly in fear of air attacks and at times they didn’t see daylight for a week.
4. GENERAL:A NKPA PW Camp was located in P’YONGYANG near the center of town. The camp had a building with “PW” painted on the roof and was used as a hospital. He estimated about 2,000 US PsW were in this camp. He heard that the PsW were treated well. PW claims he was made acting executive officer, because it required no particular military knowledge. Other officers could not be released for such and unimportant duty as company executive officer.
For the Commanding Officer:
WEELDREYER
Executive
