NORTH KOREAN TRUCK TRANSPORTATION UNITS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R014600010002-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: November 3, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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rvnn nv. 51-4AA
FEB 1952
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
INFORMATION REPORT REPORT
CD NO.
COUNTRY Korea
SUBJECT North Korean Truck Transportation Units
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DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE
ACQUIRED
TH15 DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATI.ONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REYE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON 15
TED.
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF T H I S FORM I P R O H I E I
DATE DISTR. 3 November 1952
NO. OF PAGES 4
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
25X1 REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
Transportation Department Headquarters
1. In early Maur 1952 the headquarters of the North Korean army Transportation
Department,l with approximately 50 men including 30 North Korean army officers,
5 sergeants, and 15 guards, was in Inhung-ni (125-45, 39-03) (YD-389252), in
five buildings and in a cave built in the side of.a mountain immediately be-
hind the buildings.
25X1 2. The chief of the Transportation. Department was Major General CH16N Chi-5k
(0578/5267/0310),2 ho had attended the Motor Vehicle
University in the USSR . n er e c ief there were four deputy chiefs
in charge of Political, Administrative, Mechanical Repair, and Rear Service
Bureaus. The following organization chairmen and sections were under the
Political Bureau: the Labor Party chairman, the Democratic Youth Alliance
chairman, the Propaganda Section, the Military Procurator's Section, the
Security Section, and the `Transportation Records and Business Section. The
following sections were under the Administrative Bureau: the Personnel
Section, the Staff Members Section, and the Files Section. The following
sections were under the Mechanical Repair Bureau: the Organization Section,
NSRB
FBI
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the Car Inspection Section, the Repair Section, and the chief mechanic.. Under
the Rear Service Bureau there were the Accounting Section and the General
Affairs Section.
In the cave at the Transportation Department headquarters there was a conference
hall, a storeroom for secret documents, and separate living quarters for each
of the following: the Transportation Department chief, the chief mechanic,
and the Labor Party chairman. The electric power for the lights and stoves in
the cave was supplied by two. transformers outside among the buildings; one was
a 5 kilowatt and the other a 15 kilowatt-unit. The cave was protected from-
bomb. explosions by two red brick walls about 2 meters high just inside the
cave entrance.. The five buildings outside the cave housed the transportation
office, the personnel section office, a conference hall, and an office for the
Soviet advisor and the Transportation Department chief, The buildings and cave
entrance were enclosed by three rows of barbed wire about 15 feet apart: There
was one guard at the main gate at all times. The troops attached to the
Transportation Department were fed. and quartered somewhere outside of the
headquarters enclosure.,
2 Transportation Unit
4. In early May the 2 Transportation Unit of the North Korean Army Transportation
Department was at Chung.-dong (125-44, 39-08) (YD-3635)3'(P-2). The unit
numbered about 300 men, who were billeted in private homes in Chung-dong..
The unit was charged with transporting ammunition, food, and other war material
to Kaesong (126-33,, 37-58) (BT-8505) and Haeju (125.42, 38-02) (YC-3713).
About 75 of the unit's Soviet-made ZIS and GAS trucks were used to transport
arms and ammunition from the Kan-ni ammunition dump (125-42, 39-08) (YD-348353).
Ten to fifteen of these trucks were kept under some pine trees at approximately
125-45, 38-08 (YD-375356) during the daytime.
6 Transportation Unit
In early May the 6 Transportation Unit of the Transportation Department was at
approximately 125-46, 39-13 (YD-403446). The unit numbered approximately 300
men, who were billeted in private homes in the village of Yunggol-san
(125-47, 39-13) (YD-4044), about 100 of whom were armed with M/N rifles and
PPSh's. At night this unit transported ammunition from the.Kan-ni.ammunition
dump to the eastern front through Kangdong (126-05, 39-09) (BU-4837). There
were five. revetments at YD-402445 for hiding trucks during daylight hours.
Each revetment was guarded by one North Korean.s.ldier armed with an M/N
rifle. Other trucks. were hidden under the trees in the same area.
Motor Repair Shop
6. In early April a motor repair shop of the Transportation Department, employing
about 300 civilian workers dressed in North Korean army uniforms and under
the direction of about 20 North Korean army officers, was at Sokkwiam
(125-50, 39-17) (YD-4452).. The officers were billeted in the repair shop
compound, and the civilian workers lived in private homes. The repair shop
buildings were made of wood, with 3-feet thick outside walls made of stone to
strengthen them against bombing,. The building roofs were made of sheet metal
and were camouflaged with pine boughs, The buildings were-completed in
January 1952.. The repair shop compound was guarded by about 60.North Korean
soldiers armed with M/N rifles and PPSh's. The head of the motor repair
shop was a North Korean army captain, aged about.27, who had been a driver
for KIM I1-s6ng at one time,
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Vehicle Repair Unit
In early July. a vehicle repair unit of the North Korean Transportation Depart-
.went, numbering about 80 workers, was at Taet'aryong-ni (125-=3) 39-02)
(YD-3521+). The workers occupied. Transportation Department housing extending
southwest from point YD-353237 and civilian houses southeast of these
coordinates. The-unit offices were in a.cement building with a tile roof,
facing south, measuring 8 by 4 by 1+ meters, which was about 150 meters from
point YD-353237 along the wagon road running through the valley. The unit
repair garages were in two stone buildings with tile roofs about 300 meters
from point YD-353237 along the wagon road and about 150 meters from the
office building. The garages. each measured about 15 by 5 by 3 meters, had no
front walls. and were about 10 meters apart, About 20 meters south of the
garages there was a wooden warehouse measuring 10 by 2 by 2 meters where a
large number of engines and other vehicle parts were stored. The roof of the
warehouse was covered with dirt about 30 centimeters deep with straw bags on
top of the dirt
The repair unit was charged with repairing and rebuilding North Korean army
vehicles. The unit. which opelrated 21 hours a day and always had at least
10 vehicles undergoing repairs, was equipped with two lathes, one drilling
machine, three oxygen welding machines, two grinding machines, and a generator
for the electric motors. The. wage scale of the workers ranged from.750 to
2X000 won per month, depending on their skill.. Most of the workers received
700 grams of grain per day..
9. Many vehicles were hidden during the daytime in caves, partially destroyed
houses, and beneath trees along both sides of the valley near the vehicle
repair unit facilities. Sometimes more than 200 vehicles were hidden in this
area. Most of the vehicles were dispatched to or through P'yongyang,.
crossing the Pot'ong River bridge, approximately 125-44., 39-01 (YD-369225),
during the late afternoon or early evening.. There were no anti-aircraft
guns .in the area around the vehicle repair unit..
Sinuiju Truck Transportation Firm
10. In late June the Sinaiju Truck Transportation Firm, attached to the North
Korean Transportation Department, was in Sinuiju 850 meters south of the
Yalu River at approximately 121i.-23, 440-06 (XE-189398), in a two-story office
building 30 meters long, 20 meters wide, and 6 meters high, with a Japanese.-
style tile roof and cement walls.. The parking area of the firm, measuring
700 by 200 meters, was in a park at XE-191397. There were usually 300 tracks
parked. in this area. The area was patrolled at all times, and there was a
guard post at the main gate.. Signboards. reading "Truck Shelter Lot" and
"Cabinet Transportation Department. Truck Transportation Firm" were on the
front gate of the parking area. The firm's repair shop was in two barracks,
30 meters long, 15 meters wide, and 1+ meters high with cement roofs and
wooden walls. The shop was equipped with the following machines: 2. cranes,
1 electric welding machine, 2 oxygen welding machines, 1 x 6 inch lathe,
and 1 baring machine.
11.... The Transportation Firm was formerly attached to the Land Transportation
Control Department under the Ministry of Transportation, but' subsequently it
was made subordinate to the Transportation Department, directly under the
Cabinet .4 In late June the Transportation Firm had 450 new ZIS and GAS
trucks manufactured at the Stalin Motor Car Factory and Lenin Motor Car
Factory in the USSR.. The new trucks were imported during March, April, and
May 1952, and the old trucks were sold to national stores and consumers'
guilds, The Transportation. Firm trucks had a green circular-shaped design on
both doors and on the sides,
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12.. The Transportation Firm's trucks were used to transport military supplies
from the Sinuiju area to the front lines. The trucks were operated only at
night, except in adjacent areas between Sinuiju and Yangsi. In Sinuiju the
military supplies were stored in an open space in front of the former Sinuiju
Railroad Station and in the buildings formerly occupied by a textile mill
which moved to Antung. The Transportation Firm transported medical instruments,
Rumanian and Czechoslovakian-made medicine, gasoline, truck accessories,
truck tires, truck engines, pork, grain, and other war supplies from Sinuiju
to the following points: P'yongyang, Yangdok (126-38, 39-13) (BU-9613),
Wonsan, Tokch'oi (126-18, 39-45) (BV-6903), Manp'o (126-17 41=09) (BA.7259),
Chongju (125-13, 39-42) (XE.-9096), and Anju (125-40, 39-371 (YD-2988). The
truck accessories and gasoline were sent from the USSR to Sinuiju.. The
gasoline ration of each truck for a trip was determined by the driving
distance from the Fuel Supply Bureau.
13. Most of the Transportation Firm's drivers were trained at the Motor-Car Drivers'
Institute, There were 18 female drivers.. The monthly wages of Transportation
Firm employees were 1,300 won maximum, 720 won minimum, and 1,000 won average..
The food ration was as foleows: light laborers,. 600 grams of grain per day,
50 percent of which was wheat flour;. clerical workers, 500 grams of grain peg'
day; and employees' dependents, 300 grams of grain per day. In March 1952
3 meters of Soviet-made cotton cloth and a cake of laundry soap were issued to
each employee. Also in March relief packages with old clothes from Rumania
and Czechoslovakia were: given to the employees.
452 Transportation Unit
14. In early August the headquarters of the North Koran army 452 Transportation
Unit,, numbering 350 men and equipped with 50 Soviet-made trucks, was in a
Buddh{.st temple at Taesong-san (125-51, 39-05) (YD-4629).
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Since these coordinates are almost identical with those given for the 2
Unit, this unit is presumably identical with the 2 Battalion,
=Comment. the
Transportation Department, whic s also known as the UNIT.,
subordinate to the North Korean army general headquarters but is under the
administrative control of the Transportation Ministry, This presumably
explains why the Transportation Department is referred to as an army unit
in paragraph 1 and as being directly under the cabinet in paragraph.11.
SECRET
1. Comment.. The Transportation Department headquarters assigns all
drivers and vehicles to transportation units under its command, and the
units keep the headquarters informed of the dispatch and return of the
vehicles.
I I Comment Other information in this office also states:that Major
General CH'ON Chi-ok, a graduate of the USSR Motor Vehicle School is head
of the Transportation Bureau, North Korean Army.General Headquarters; and
head of the North Korean Transportation
Ministry in mid-January 1951.
Major General CH'ON Chi-ik, presuu -.bly
identical with the man referred to here, is vice Minister of Transportation
and head of the Transportation Department, North Korean Army General
Headquar ters :>
Comment. the
2 battalion of the Transportation Department wJLs at Naedong (YD-3736
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