To Lin Biao and Nie Rongzhen[1]

(February 26, 1936)

Lin and Nie:

(A) Please report your movements immediately upon receipt of this message. (B) Xu Haidong, leading three regiments, annihilated one battalion of the enemy’s 113th Regiment at the southern tip of Shilou yesterday (the 25th) in the morning, and in the afternoon annihilated another battalion of the enemy’s 405th Regiment at the northern tip of Xi County, capturing battalion commander Li Yutian and routing one of his battalions. In all, over three hundred prisoners were taken, along with more than two hundred rifles, two mortars, and multiple machine guns. (C) According to Li Yutian’s confession: The 280th Brigade of Li Shengda’s 72nd Division arrived at Shikou Township on the 25th to reinforce Shilou. (D) Xu Cheng has been ordered to lead the 15th Army Corps of the Red Army (minus the two battalions of the directly subordinate unit besieging Shilou) to advance forty li toward Shikou today and to encircle and annihilate this enemy force tomorrow.

Peng and Mao

26th, 4:30 a.m.

[1] This is a telegram from Mao Zedong and Peng Dehuai, commander of the First Front Army of the Red Army, to Lin Biao, commander of the First Army Corps of the First Front Army, and Nie Rongzhen, its political commissar.