(March 6, 1938, midnight)

Zhu [De] and Peng [Dehuai]; He [Long], Xiao [Ke], and Guan [Xiangying]:

1. According to the telegram of the 5th from Gao Shuangcheng,¹ the enemy at
Fugu had already been defeated by the Zhang regiment of the Zuo brigade of his
forces² on the 3rd and withdrawn back to Baode, and there were no longer any
enemy forces at Fugu, and so on. According to Chen Qihan, the enemy at Lishi,
Jundu, and Jikou, as a result of the failure of his attack and attempt to cross the
river, has temporarily halted his advance. The enemy at Jikou is moving in the
direction of Lin xian. In addition, according to He [Long], Xiao [Ke], and Guan
[Xiangying], some of Fu Zuoyi's forces³ are engaged at present in combat against
the enemy at Dawuzhen. It is estimated that this enemy will divide his main force
into two routes to move toward Fangshan and Lin xian in an attempt, first, to
defeat Fu Zuoyi's units so as to guarantee the safety of his flanks and, second, to
support the combat operations of the three routes of the enemy from the two directions of the east and the north. According to Chen Guang, Luo Ronghuan, and Bai
Zhiwen, the enemies at Xian xian, Daning, and Wuchenzhen are all moving toward Pu xian. There is no enemy at these three places or at Fenxi. According to
He, Xiao, and Guan, the enemy at Kefeng number no more than eight hundred.
But the enemy at Wenshui and Jiaochen has already advanced to the south of

Loufanzhen. We estimate that this enemy has the intention of occupying Jingle
xian, so as to coordinate his actions with the enemy at Kelan and Dawuzhen.

2. In view of the above circumstances, it is already clear that the enemy is
surrounding the 120th Division and Fu Zuoyi's army in five routes in an attempt to
compel our forces to cross the river. But the enemy strength of each route is generally not great. Our He division⁵ should defeat the enemy one after another in
coordination with the forces of Fu Zuoyi.

3. If Wang's brigade⁶ is able to defeat the enemy moving from Kelan to Wuzhai
in cooperation with Fu Zuoyi's forces, then it will be advantageous that Zhang's
brigade, which is now at Dongcunzhen in Feng xian, move to Loufanzhen and
seize appropriate opportunities to defeat the enemy moving from Loufan to Jingle.
After succeeding there, then if the enemy at Dawuzhen continues to advance toward Fangshan, Zhang's brigade may, as the second step, cooperate with Fu Zuoyi's
forces to attack the enemy at Fangshan. In such a way we can be sure of controlling the three xian of Jingle, Kefeng, and Fangshan. This may prevent Fu's forces
from feeling surrounded on several sides and enable them to persist in combat in
northwestern Shanxi. If it is felt that Wang's brigade and Zhang's brigade fighting
separately cannot smash a single column of the enemy, but by concentrating our
forces we may indeed defeat a single column of the enemy, then it is appropriate to
concentrate our effort to attack one single column of the enemy. But whether it is
appropriate to attack a single column in Kelan or the one in Loufan must be decided on the basis of the circumstances.

4. Now that there are the eight regiments of Fu's forces to the south of Lin xian,
which are sufficient to constitute a threat to the enemy at Jikou and Jundu, it is no
longer necessary for Zhang's brigade to move in the direction of Jikou and Jundu.
The priority for now is to attack resolutely and defeat the enemy who is advancing
toward the three points of Jingle, Fangshan, and Wuzhai. Only by successfully
attacking one or two of these three routes will it be possible to frustrate the enemy's
plan of encirclement, consolidate the base area in northwestern Shanxi, and support the combat operations in other regions.

Mao Zedong

Our source for this text is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 2, pp. 185-87, where it is reproduced from a copy in the Central Archives.
1. At this time, Gao Shuangcheng was the commander of the Guomindang Eighty-sixth
Division.
2. The reference is to the 512th Regiment of the 256th Brigade of Gao's Eighty-sixth
Division, commanded respectively by Zhang Jie and Zuo Shiyun.
3. Fu Zuoyi was at this time frontline commander-in-chief of the Northern Route of the
Guomindang Second War Zone, and commander-in-chief of the Seventh Group Army.
4. Chen Guang and Luo Ronghuan were, respectively, acting commander and head of the
Political Department of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army. Bai Zhiwen was the
commander of the Fifth Regiment of the Eighth Route Army garrison forces.

5. I.e., the 120th Division, commanded by He Long.
6. I.e., the 359th Brigade of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army, with Wang
Zhen as its political commissar.
7. The reference is to the 358th Brigade of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army,
commanded by Zhang Zongsun.