Views on Cutting off the Enemy’s Line of
Retreat and Surrounding and Annihilating
the Enemy in Siping
 (May 4, 1946)
To Comrade Lin Biao:1
Our army is prepared to establish a stronghold south of Shuangmiaozi2 to
cut off the enemy’s line of retreat and to surround and completely annihilate the
enemy at Siping. This is a courageous plan.3 But you must consider the fact that
when we cut off the enemy’s line of retreat, the enemy will certainly make desperate efforts to regain it. If we can defeat the enemy forces that are fighting to retain
the line of retreat, the enemy at Siping will have no alternative but to retreat across
the entire front; if we are unable to defeat these forces, the situation will remain
stalemated and this will not be to our advantage. In order to guarantee our victory
over the enemy at our stronghold south of Shuangmiaozi and thereby bring about
a change in the overall military situation, it seems better if we use more than two
brigades of our forces here—that is, add another unit apart from the two brigades
transferred from southern Manchuria.4 If we appear in the enemy’s rear with a
powerful force and guarantee the establishment of a fortified stronghold and the
elimination of the enemy sent to regain the line of retreat (for example, if we wipe
out one of the enemy’s divisions), then the enemy at Siping will surely retreat. If we counterattack while this enemy is retreating, we can achieve a great victory.
You should be prepared to wage such a counteroffensive for a number of days
and therefore you must ensure that you have enough food. The above ideas are
offered for your consideration. You should make your decisions based on actual
necessity.
Mao Zedong

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Notes

Our source for this text is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 3, pp. 206–7, where it is reproduced from Mao’s handwritten manuscript preserved in the Central Archives.

--- Notes

1.  Lin Biao was commander-in-chief of the Northeast Democratic Allied Army.

2.  Shuangmiaozi is a town located in northeast Changtu, Liaoning Province.

3.  In the telegram that he drafted on behalf of the Military Commission to Lin Biao
on May 3, 1946, Mao Zedong writes, “The plan of deploying two brigades to open a
second front south of Shuangmiaozi and to cut off the enemy’s line of retreat is great. We
hope you will implement it resolutely. Nevertheless, it seems necessary to allow these
two brigades several days to rest and prepare before the attack as they will be tired upon
arrival.”

4.  Southern Manchuria refers to the central Liaoning area east of the Shenyang-Dalian
section of the Chinese Changchun railway, which encompassed Andong (today’s Dandong),
Zhuanghe, Tonghua, Linjiang, Qingyuan, and southeastern Shenyang.
DOI:  10.4324/9781315719511-136