(October 25, 1937, 5:00 A.M.)

Zhu [De] and Peng [Dehuai]:

We have taken note of your telegram of the 24th.
1. Are you going to use Chen Guang's brigade¹ on the Zhengding-Taiyuan
railway line? I think this is necessary. Moreover, it also seems necessary for the
main forces of Xu Haidong's brigade² to move southward to do battle. It is sufficient to leave one unit behind in the northwest to cooperate with the special task
regiment of General Headquarters and Yang's detachment.³ At the moment the
decisive battle is along the Zhengding-Taiyuan railway line.
2. For the purpose of really cutting off the major north-south communication
line at Yanmen, it would seem advantageous for Wang Zhen's forces to take part
in the operation in Yanmenguan area, and to cooperate in the campaign of Song's
detachment.⁶

Mao Zedong

Our source for this text is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 2, pp. 100-101, where it is reproduced from a copy in the Central Archives.
1. The reference is to the 343rd Brigade of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army,
commanded by Chen Guang.
2. The reference is to the 344th Brigade of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army,
commanded by Xu Haidong.
3. The reference is to the independent regiment of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route
Army, commanded by Yang Chengwu.
4. At this time, Wang Zhen was leading the main force of the 359th Brigade of the 120th
Division of the Eighth Route Army.
5. Yanmenguan, located in the northern part of Dai xian in Shanxi, was one of the major
passages through the Great Wall.
6. The reference is to the Yanbei Detachment, which had as its basis the Second Battalion
of the 716th Regiment of the 358th Brigade of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army,
and was commanded by Song Shilun.