Under the present circumstances, both annihilation of the enemy and infliction of a devastating blow upon him must be given equal attention. By “annihilation,” we mean the complete and thorough destruction of an entire brigade or division, leaving no survivors to escape. To implement this policy, it is essential to concentrate three to four times the enemy’s strength: one part engages the enemy’s front, another envelops his flanks, while the main force—or a key component thereof—outflanks his rear. In other words, a full encirclement from all sides is required for success. This constitutes the fundamental principle of our army’s operations. It is the correct course to follow when the enemy forces are dispersed and isolated, and when reinforcements cannot arrive quickly.

However, if the enemy advances on multiple axes with relatively close intervals between them, or if he establishes blocking positions along several parallel lines in our direction of advance, likewise with short distances between them, our forces should adopt the policy of delivering a devastating blow rather than attempting total encirclement. That is to say, instead of encircling the enemy on all four sides, we should confine our efforts to two or three sides, committing our full strength against the enemy’s front and one or both flanks. The objective would not be to annihilate the entire enemy force, but rather to destroy a portion of it and rout another. By doing so, we can minimize our own casualties; the destroyed elements can be absorbed to reinforce our ranks, while the routed units will scatter en masse, with only a small fraction able to regroup and reorganize, making it difficult for them to regain combat effectiveness in the short term.