Order to the First Front Army of the Red Army
to Surround and Attack Changsha and to
Launch a General Offensive
(September 1,1930,8:00 P.M.,
at General Headquarters in Baitianpu)
1. The enemy forces in Changsha are still occupying their fortifications and
stubbornly resisting us.
2. The Front Army has decided to launch a general offensive against this
enemy along the entire front tomorrow evening (the 2nd).
3. The Third Army Group should move in the evening from its present location to the Dongshan and Litang line, and must complete this shift by tomorrow
morning. In addition, it should construct a raft bridge near Dongshan, and take
charge tomorrow of attacking the area to the right of the line along Guitang,
Shiba, and Wumeiling (including the line itself).
4. The First Army Group (minus the Fourth Army) will be in charge of
attacking the area to the left of said line (excluding the line itself). It is to remain
in the area of Dongjingpu, Mojialong, Zhoujiaba, and Baitianpu, and must be on
guard against an enemy attack from such places as Houzishi, Tantangzi on the
other side of the river, and elsewhere. It should construct a raft bridge near
Bozhutang. This army group's large baggage should be moved to this place and
stored there.
5. It is ordered that the Sixteenth Army of the Third Army Group return to its
original unit, and tomorrow from its present location (the Dongtundu and Hujidu
line) it should begin to attack along Xinhe toward the northern outskirts.
6. The Fourth Army constitutes the general reserve force, remaining at its
present location (the Longjiawan and Zhoujiaba line).
7. After achieving success in their attack, the troops of the First Army Group
that will have taken Huangtuling should immediately build on their victory to
expand toward the right; the troops of the Third Army Group that will have taken
Wumeiling should immediately expand toward Huangtuling along the way behind the enemy's stronghold in Yuhuating; the troops of the Third Army Group
that will have taken Erlipai should expand from the enemy's strongholds marked
49 and 50 toward Xinhe to the right, but must leave enough forces in
We have translated this order from Jiangxi dangshi ziliao, Vol. 6, pp. 112-13.
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SEPTEMBER 1930
511
Yangjiashan, which is between Erlipai and Wumeiling; the troops of the Six-teenth Army that will have taken Xinhe should build on their victory to expand
along the railroad towards the enemy stronghold marked 49.
8. At 7:00 tomorrow evening (the 2nd), the First Army Group and the Six-teenth Army will start to attack. At 8:00 the Third Army Group will start to
attack.
9. We are now at the position of General Headquarters at Baitianpu. Tomor-row morning we will lead the directly attached units and move to Xujiachong;
tomorrow evening the command post will be established there.
Addendum:
1. The Fourth Army, which constitutes the general reserve force, should dispatch capable scouts to places such as Tiaomajian, Tianxinqiao, and
Xitangchong, and send Red Guard forces as well as espionage agents to the area
between Hengtang and Huilongpu so as to be on guard against an enemy attempt
at a secret crossing.
2. The artillery regiment of the Third Army must choose its position near
Shiba, so as to be able to fire at the enemy's strongholds in Yuhuating, Wumei-ling, and elsewhere.
Commander-in-chief
Zhu De
Political Commissar
Mao Zedong