(May 24, 1931)²
1. According to reports, the remnants of Sun Lianzhong's troops have already left Dongshao on the 23rd and fled toward Yihuang. Zhu Shaoliang's three
divisions³ have also passed through Guangchang and escaped in the direction of
Nanfeng.

2. The Front Army has decided to take a shortcut and occupy Nanfeng
before the enemy gets there. If the enemy (Mao [Bingwen], Xu [Kexiang], and
Hu [Zuyu]) is still to our rear, and on the right of us, we shall intercept him.

3. The Third Army Group, as the left column, should leave its present
location tomorrow (the 25th) for the three-and-a-half-day march to Nanfeng via
Wucun, Qiacun, and Sankeng, with the purpose of occupying Nanfeng City as
soon as possible. Upon arriving [in the vicinity of] Nanfeng [City], it should take
up a position near Shishanjie,⁴ wait for orders for the next moves, and also
dispatch a division of troops as its advance party to reach Nanfeng [City] within
three days. It must get to the outskirts of Nanfeng City by the 27th, attack the
city, occupy it as the opportunity presents itself, and protect the advance of our
main forces.

4. The First Army Group, as the right column, will move out from its current
locations (Matian, Nantuan, and Shangchao) at 4:00 A.M. tomorrow, for the
three-and-a-half-day march to Nanfeng via Luokou, Yanfang, Kuzhu, Ganzhu,
Fenglin, and Modao Ferry, in the order: Third Army, Fourth Army, General
Headquarters' subordinate troops, and Twelfth Army. When it reaches the vicinity of Nanfeng City, it should camp in the region of Yaochao and await orders
for the next move.

The Third Army should also dispatch one division as an advance party to

Our source for this document is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 1, pp. 230-33.
make the three-day march to the vicinity of Nanfeng City, so as to arrive there on
the 27th and cover the advance of our main force.
5. The Thirty-fifth Army should arrive at Dongshao on the 26th to await
further orders. Its responsibility is to escort and protect all the bulky baggage
from all the units until the 28th and then to wait for further commands.
6. All schools and the Red Guard regiments attached to the battalions (except
for the Fourth Company) will revert to the control of the Central Revolutionary
Military Commission and move toward Hexi.⁵
7. When each army reaches its bivouac site, it should maintain liaison with
the other armies. The advance troops should pay special attention to spying on
the enemy and immediately report to Headquarters (the daily itineraries are to be
announced separately).
8. Headquarters will follow the armies of the right wing, marching behind the
Fourth Army but in front of the Twelfth Army.
It is so ordered.
Points for attention:
The advance parties from all routes must reach the city of Nanfeng before
the enemy does. They are to occupy it, to deploy guards, and to make contact
with each other until the main forces arrive. They must not give this city up.
The advance parties will receive orders from the division commanders and
political commissars who get there first. For instance, if the three bandits, Mao,
Xu, and Hu, have already occupied the city, then the advance parties should
attack them together.

Itineraries for the Advance of the First Front Army of the Red Army
from the Vicinity of Nantuan
(May 1931 at Nantuan)

| Route | Sections of the Army | May 25 | May 26 | May 27 | May 28 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army of the Left | Advance Party (one division of the Third Army Group) | From Dongshao to Qiacun (70)⁶ | Jingxishan (65) | Occupy or attack Nanfeng City (30) | Occupy Nanfeng City |
|  | Main Force (Third Army Group less one division) | From Nantuan to Wucun and Wuxi (40–50) | Qiacun (40) | Sankeng (45) | Shisanjie (40) |

5. “Hexi” literally means “west of the river,” but it seems more likely to be a place-name in this context.
[PAGE 184 POSSIBLE HALLUCINATION - REVIEW NEEDED]
Army of the Advance
Right
Party (one
division of
the Third
Army)
Third Army
(less one
division)
From
Matian via
Luokou to
Kuzhu (70)
From
Matian via
Luokou and
Yanfang to
the vicinity
of Naoyuan
(55)
Fourth Army From
Units
Nantuan to
Yanfang via
Luokou (50)
From
subordinated Buyuan to
to Headquarters
Yanfang via
Nantuan
and Luokou
(55)
From
Kuzhu to
Fenglin via
Ganzhu,
Luofang,
and Baishe
(90)
From
Naoyuan
via Kuzhu
to Ganzhu
(65)
From
Yanfang via
Kuzhu to
Ganzhu (70)
Same as
above
Via
Xiayang,
occupy
Nanfeng
City; if the
enemy has
already
arrived,
attack him
(40)
Via
Luofang,
Baishe, and
Fenglin to
the vicinity
of Modao
Ford (70)
Same as
above (70)
Via Luofang
and Baishe
to the
vicinity of
Fenglin (50)
Same as
To Fenglin
(50)
Occupy
Nanfeng
City

Via Xiayang
to the
vicinity of
Yaopu (20)
Same as
above
Via Modao
Ford and
Xiayang to
Yaopu (40)
Same as
above
Twelfth
Army
From
Shangchao above
and
Xiachao to
Yanfang via
Nantuan
and Luokou
(55)
Note: Unless it is absolutely necessary, no army is allowed to change this
schedule arbitrarily. If it proves impossible to get to the destination laid down in
time, this must be immediately reported to Headquarters and the other armies
must be informed.

Commander-in-Chief
Political Commissar
Zhu De
Mao Zedong

--- Notes

1. This order directs Red Army forces to march from northern Ningdu xian through
parts of Guangchang and Nanfeng xian; the bulk of the place-names mentioned in the text
are in these xian.

2. This order was issued at 11:00 P.M. from headquarters in Nantuan, Ningdu xian.

3. Zhu Shaoliang was commander of the Nationalist Sixth Army. The three divisions
in question were the Eighth, Twenty-fourth, and Fifth; their commanders are mentioned in
the following paragraph.

4. Shishanjie was a town to the west of Nanfeng City.


6. This and all similar figures indicate distances in li.