ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO 2769 27 December 1950
FIELD REPORT (164 - MISDI - 1272) 29 November 1950
| PW NAME: | CHANG, Shih-Hai (張士海) (Chinese) |
| RANK: | Pvt (戰士) |
| ORGN: | 4th Field Army, 42nd Army, 125th Div, 375th Regt, 2nd Bn, HMG Co, Rocket Launcher Sqd |
| DUTIES: | Ammo Bearer |
| EDUCATION: | None |
| AGE: | 32 |
| OCCUPATION: | Farmer |
| ADDRESS: | HOPEI SHENG, PAI-HO-HSIEN, TA-HI-KOU, CHIEN-CHIA-PAU (湖北省 白河縣 大泥溝 千家堡) |
| DATE AND PLACE OF CAPTURE: | 250600 I Nov 50 in a farm village (exact location unknown). |
| INTERROGATOR: | C.H.S. |
PW showed signs of ignorance. He was unable to give dates and places through which he has travelled in CHINA, MANCHURIA, and KOREA. Report seems very unreliable.
Conscripted into the NCA 16th Army at PEI-PING (北平) in May 45.
Received 2 months of basic infantry training at PEI-PING
PW was captured by the CCF 4th Field Army in Jan 49 at PEI-PING and was immediately placed into the 42nd Army, 125th Div, 375th Regt, 2nd Bn, HMG Co.
Places through which the PW has travelled in CHINA were unknown.
PW stated that the 2nd Bn left TUNG-HUA (通化) in Oct 50 by foot and crossed a steel bridge over the YALU River into KOREA. (Exact point of crossing was unknown.)
Places through which the PW has travelled in KOREA after crossing the YALU River were unknown.
PW’s unit did not participate in the HAINAN Island invasion.
4th Field Army: Composition, unknown.
42nd Army: 3 Inf Divisions
125th Div: 3 Inf Regiments (373rd, 374th, 375th), and 1 Mountain Gun Battalion
375th Regt: 3 Inf Bns (1st, 2nd, 3rd), 1 Transportation Unit, 1 “92” Gun Co. (PW had heard of this “92” Gun Co; he did not know what type of gun or unit it was.)
2nd Bn: 3 Inf Companies and 1 HMG Co.
HMG Co: 3 HMG Platoons, 1 Mortar Plat, 1 Rocket Launcher Sqd.
Platoon: 3 Squads.
Rifle Co: 3 Rifle Platoons.
Rifle Platoon: 3 Rifle Squads
| Rocket Launcher Squad, HMG Co, 2nd Bn, 375th Regt: | |
| a. Personnel: | |
| EM | 11 |
| b. Ammo & Equipment: | |
| Rocket Launcher, (caliber and make, unk) | 2 (44 rds per) |
| HMG Co, 2nd Bn, 375th Regt: | |
| a. Personnel: | |
| EM | 120 |
| Officer | 10 |
| 130 | |
| b. Ammo & Equipment: | |
| 82mm Mortar (Chinese) | 2 (10 rds per) |
| HMG (Chinese) | 4 (3,750 rds per) |
| Rifle Co, 2nd Bn, 375th Regt: | |
| a. Personnel: | |
| Officers & EM | 130 |
| b. Ammo & Equipment: | |
| 79 type rifle (make,unk) | 60 (100 rds per) |
| Grenades | 4 per man |
| 2nd Bn, 375th Regt, 125th Div: | |
| a. Personnel: | |
| Officers & EM | approx 500 |
After crossing the YALU River, one North Korean soldier, who served as an interpreter, was assigned to the 2nd Bn. There were no Koreans in the PW’s company.
The PW’s unit is intact and under the same chain of command now as it was prior to crossing the YALU River.
Parts of the PW’s unit were not integrated into Korean units.
The PW was captured when he was separated from his unit while the company was retreating to an unknown area.
The PW did not have any information whatsoever as to unit locations or activities in KOREA.
The PW’s unit was not engaged in constructing any elaborate defensive positions while in KOREA.
Troops of the 375th Regt brought 2 days ration with them when they crossed the YALU River. When this ration was exhausted, they acquired food from North Korean farmers.
The PW could offer no information about ammunition or its supply.
Communication between Regt and Bn: Field Telephone
Communication between Bn and Companies: Runners
The morale in the PW’s company was low because they did not have air and artillery support.
The PW was not a volunteer for Korean service nor was his unit.
No instructions had been given to CCF troops to appear to be volunteers in the event of capture.
The PW’s unit did not undergo amphibious training.
The PW did not know of the Iron and Steel Brigade.
There were no Japanese units in the CCF.
The CCF did not have Militia and Public Security units in addition to their regular troops.
The PW, a private, was paid 70,000 Yuan a month; the wages of other ranks were unknown.
The PW did not know of paratroop training or paratroops in the GCF.
Propaganda officers taught soldiers the benefits of communism and about the evils of nationalism.
While in KOREA, all the troops passed their sleeping hours in fox-holes.
For the AC of S, G-2:
HONG
