troops, and eliminate them. After wiping out the given enemy, or if
there are no enemy troops in the given area, it must seize an opportunity to take the area near Liuyuzhen on the second (that is, the
22nd) or third day (depending on the speed of the crossing and the
situation of the enemy).
Exploiting the Victory, Both Army Groups
Should Advance Swiftly Toward Shilou
(February 21, 1936, 7:00 A.M.)
Peng [Dehuai], Nie [Rongzhen] and Lin [Biao], Xu [Haidong] and Cheng
[Zihua]:
crossing today before noon, and the crossing can be completely finished in the
afternoon.
to Sanjiaozhen are currently held in our large-scale encirclement. We think there
is a possibility that this enemy may retreat to Shilou today.
Fifteenth Army Group should advance swiftly to Yidiezhen to intercept and
pursue this enemy. Both army groups should, moreover, order their vanguard
divisions to advance expeditiously toward Shilou on the heels of victory, and
take it when opportunity offers.
forces of the Front Army and the rear. The Fifteenth Army Group should assign
a small unit to protect them, and wait to be replaced by the anti-Japanese guerrillas tomorrow or the day after.
Mao Zedong
reproduced from a copy in the Central Archives.
The Tasks of the Guerrilla Detachments After
Crossing the River and the Problem of
Organizing Stretcher Teams
(February 21, 1936, 12:00 noon, at Hekou)
figuring on three at Mahuaping, three at Laoyaguan, and six at Hekou (these six
boats are to prepare to travel down to the lower reaches for use at the appropriate
ferry crossings). Please establish liaison with him.
and the district soviets of the various districts along the river.
of the river to direct things. Ask him for instructions in doing your work. He will
bring along a transmitter-receiver.
7. I am leaving for Shilou from Yidiezhen.
Comrade Lisan:¹
led by Yang Sen, Cai Shufan, and Lai Chuanzhu² are to establish headquarters at
Yidiezhen. Their tasks are: (1) to maintain communications between Shilou,
Yidie, and Hekou; (2) to destroy the fortifications along the river and wipe out
the remaining enemy troops; (3) to mobilize the mass struggle within the four
points of Xinguan, Laoyaguan, Qingshuiguan, and Yidiezhen, and organize local
guerrilla detachments in Shanxi; (4) to maintain major crossing points.
the three xian of Suide, Qingjian, and Yanshui as a team of stretcher-bearers; one
thousand are to be gathered together by the end of this month, a thousand by
March 15, and another thousand by March 30. But as the populations of the
three xian vary, these average figures may not be appropriate, so that the mobilization should be based on the principle of actual and possible conditions, gathering together one thousand first and awaiting orders to gather two or three more
groups if the need arises at the front. Methods: (1) to have proper organization
and leadership by good cadres; (2) to have [Party] branch organizations; (3) to
organize mess groups; (4) to bring clothing, blankets, and eating utensils; (5) the
period of service is a month and a half; (6) four people to a stretcher; (7) all
should gather where you are at Hekou, to be sent forward when orders are given.
Mao Zedong
Our source for this document is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 1, pp. 449-50, where it is
reproduced from a manuscript in the Central Archives. The text also appears in Mao
Our source for this document is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 1, pp. 447-48, where it is

Zedong ji. Bujuan, Vol. 4, pp. 265-66, where it is taken from a Red Guard compilation.

--- Notes
Revolutionary Military Commission's department of military depots.
referred to in the document of January 22, 1935) and Cai Shufan were at this time
respectively acting commander and political commissar of the guerrilla detachments along
the river. Lai Chuanzhu was political commissar of the Chinese Communist Party
Shaanxi-Gansu Provincial Committee's Military Affairs Department.
department of the Northwest Revolutionary Military Commission.

--- Notes

1. The main forces of both our army groups will be able to complete the river

2. Approximately two regiments of enemy troops along the river from Hekou

3. Our First Army Group should advance swiftly to Xiaosuanzhen, and the

4. Yidiezhen and Hekou are the communication lines between the main

4. Dai Jiying³ is responsible for seeing to it that twelve new boats are built,

5. You must keep in close contact with the Party Committee of Qingjian xian

6. Vice-Chairman Zhou [Enlai] is coming in the next few days to the banks

1. A copy of the orders for battle is enclosed. They will enable you to understand the direction of movement and the tasks of the Red Army.
2. After crossing the river at Hekou, the five or six hundred guerrilla fighters

3. The order has already been issued to mobilize three thousand people from

1. This telegram is addressed to Yang Lisan, then commander of the Northwest

2. Yang Sen (not to be confused with the Guomindang general of the same name

3. Dai Jiying was then commander of the mobilization and military equipment