Order to Pursue and Attack the Enemy
Division of Tan Daoyuan
Order No. V2 of the First Front Army of the Red Army
(Xiaobu, 10:00 P.M., January 2, 1931)

1. The enemy division under Tan, hearing of the crushing defeat of Zhang's
division,¹ began to flee early this morning at 5:00. One section of the division
retreated in defeat toward Nanbeikeng via Yuantou and Zhongcun.² Its rear
guard was intercepted by our Second Route Army, and we captured large numbers of its guns. Another section of the division (its main force) fled toward
Dongshao via Nantuan. As we look at this situation, the enemy forces seem to be
in retreat all along the line. (The case is the same with other enemy forces.)
2. The Front Army has decided to pursue and attack the enemy troops in
Dongshao early tomorrow morning, and then to wipe out in succession Xu
[Kexiang]'s division (two regiments) and Mao [Bingwen]'s division (two brigades) of the forces of Rebel Zhu Shaoliang,³ so as to establish political prestige.
3. The Twelfth Army is responsible for launching a frontal attack. It is to
arrive near Dongshao Market via Nantuan and Linchi before 10:00 tomorrow
morning, and advance to attack the enemy troops in Dongshao. It should occupy
positions north of Linchi and south of Shaweizui. The Third Army Group is
responsible for the left flank; it must arrive near Pitou before 10:00 tomorrow
morning and advance to attack the enemy troops in Dongshao.
The Third Army is responsible for the right flank. It should advance as far as
Tianying by 10:00 tomorrow morning, and use its main force to pin down the
enemy's reinforcements from Luokou (Xu's division). In addition, part of its
forces should carry out a flanking movement to the upland east of Dongshao
Market and north of Shanxiaping, and attack the enemy in Dongshao.
The Fourth Army serves as a general reserve force and is to be deployed in
Longtan west of Dongshao. (The Fourth Army should depart tomorrow morning
at 12:00 and then follow behind the Twelfth Army.)

Our source for this text is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 1, pp. 198–200.
The Political Guards Regiment will remain stationed in Matian and should
send out separate guerrilla detachments tomorrow morning to Luokou,
Dongshanba, and Pingtian to wage guerrilla warfare.
4. The small baggage of the Third Army Group is to be carried behind the
Third Army. The small baggage of the Third Army is also to be carried behind
the Third Army. The small baggage of the Fourth and Twelfth armies (under the
direction of a small baggage officer to be appointed by the Twelfth Army) is to
be carried behind the Fourth Army. (Baggage may not be carried among the
regular troops.)
5. General Headquarters, along with the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Committee, will follow the Fourth Army to the location of the general
reserve force in Longtan to exercise command.

Supplementary notes:
a. The route for the Third Army Group's baggage carriers is from Yuantou
to Pitou via Zengfang, Shiaoxia, Dongmaoao, Zhangjiaqian, Yangtan, Luyuan,
Fengshanxia, Xintan, Baishui, and Chenjia.
The route for the Twelfth Army's baggage carriers is from Xiachao to
Dongshao via Nantuan, Jiaobian, Aobei, Wangjiakeng, and Longtan.
b. Each army's bandage unit [bengdai suo]⁴ may choose its own location.
The hospital is located in Yangcheng. All divisions will hire people for delivery
work.

It is so ordered.

Commander-in-Chief
Political Commissar
Zhu De
Mao Zedong

--- Notes

1. Tan and Zhang are respectively Tan Daoyuan and Zhang Huizan. Regarding the
defeat of the latter's Eighteenth Division, see Volume III, pp. 731–32.

2. These and other places mentioned in the text are in southeastern Yongfeng and
northern Ningdu xian.

3. Zhu Shaoliang commanded the Nationalists' Sixth Route Army.


⁴. This was probably the equivalent of an aid station in Western armies.