Supplementary Directive on the Northeast Combat Issue

(April 8, 1946)

Comrades Lin Biao and Peng Zhen:

Regarding the combat issue, a few supplementary points: (1) Combat on the northern front should aim to annihilate the greater part or the entirety of one enemy division to two enemy divisions through repeated hand-to-hand fighting lasting several days and nights. Therefore, it is necessary to concentrate absolutely superior forces (for example, six brigades or more), to make full mental and military preparations, and to select terrain advantageous to us. That is to say, do not fight recklessly; when you fight, you must win. (2) All rear-service organizations indispensable for large-scale operations, such as grain supply, troop replenishment, and coordinated operations by militia and guerrilla forces, must be rapidly organized on the northern front. The institutions and personnel on the southern front must be moved northward in large numbers and with speed; delay will be disadvantageous. (3) The destruction of roads is extremely important. Special road-destruction headquarters should be organized. All roads that the enemy is about to occupy or has already occupied must be thoroughly destroyed. Mobilize the populace, giving consideration to both public and private interests. The main task is to dig up the roadbeds, making the cuts both wide and deep, while allowing the populace to take away the rails, sleepers, and materials. Those already occupied by the enemy must of course be heavily destroyed; those not yet occupied by the enemy but certain to be occupied soon (such as the northern end of Siping, the northern end of Benxi, the eastern end of Fushun, etc.) must especially be heavily destroyed. According to confidential intelligence reports, if the various Kuomintang armies entering Manchuria go five days without receiving supplies of grain and ammunition, they will be unable to survive. Therefore, the widespread establishment of road-destruction headquarters and the mobilization of the broad masses of the people to destroy roads is one of the most important methods for defeating the stubborn enemy. It is hoped that this will be speedily issued as a general order and implemented.

The Central Committee

Maoqi