Wang, Liu, and Zhang [1] also informed Zheng, Li, Dai, and Wang [2]:  (1) Congratulations on your great victory in annihilating one enemy regiment and six companies [3].   (2) Your mission is to conduct mobile and flexible operations across the vast area north of the Yangtze River and west and south of the Xiang River, destroying the enemy piecemeal, mobilizing the masses, and establishing base areas. This task must be firmly and resolutely carried out by all officers and men through persuasive leadership. You must gradually abandon the idea of returning to North China or joining up with Zheng and Li, as the enemy’s numerous obstacles will not permit this. As long as you fight skillfully and win several more victories like that of the 21st—concentrating superior forces to destroy one battalion or one regiment at a time, defeating the enemy piecemeal—and as long as you can properly handle relations with the civilian population, you will be able to establish a base area.   (3) Min, Zhang, and Wu [4] are tasked with establishing a base area east of the Xiang River and west of the Pinghan Railway, within the former boundaries of the Jianghan Military Region, and with maintaining mutual support and coordination with Zheng, Li, Wang, and yourselves. This unit has now reached southwestern Henan. Three enemy brigades are currently turning back from the rear of Zheng and Li to deal with them; therefore, this unit should likewise turn southward, operating between the Xiang River and the Pinghan Railway, dividing into regiment-sized detachments to disperse and carry out activities in different sectors. This unit too should abandon the notion of returning north or linking up with Zheng and Li to the west, since the current enemy situation does not allow it. Moreover, this unit and your own should not merge, for it is more advantageous to operate separately while supporting one another than to concentrate in one place. Please forward this telegram to Min, Zhang, and Wu.   (4) Zheng and Li are requested to instruct Huang Lin [5] to return to the Tongbai region in southern Henan and establish a base there.   (5) It is essential to employ flexibly the tactics of breaking up large formations into smaller ones and then reassembling them as needed; you must also be adept at deceiving the enemy, luring him into dispersing his forces so that you may defeat him piecemeal.   (6) At present, our forces in Central China and North China are launching a major counteroffensive against the enemy. Once they have achieved success, the situation facing our Central Plains Army may also improve.

Printed from Mao Zedong’s manuscript under the direction of the Military Commission at noon.

Notes  [1] Wang and Liu refer to Wang Shusheng and Liu Zijiu, who at the time served respectively as commander and deputy political commissar of the First Column of the Central Plains Military Region. Zhang refers to Zhang Caiqian (1911–1994), a native of Macheng, Hubei, who was then chief of staff of the First Column.  [2] Zheng and Li refer to Zheng Weisan and Li Xiannian, who at the time held the posts of political commissar and commander of the Central Plains Military Region, respectively. Dai refers to Dai Jiyin, who at the time was political commissar of the First Column and accompanied the headquarters of the Central Plains Military Region. Wang refers to Wang Zhen, who at the time was deputy commander and chief of staff of the Central Plains Military Region.  [3] This refers to the battle fought on July 21, 1946, in which the First Column of the Central Plains Military Region routed the 553rd Regiment of the 185th Brigade of the Nationalist Army’s 66th Reorganized Division and the 153rd Regiment of the 64th Brigade of the 15th Reorganized Division, along with six companies, in the Shihua Street area of Gucheng County, Hubei Province.  [4] Min refers to Min Xuesheng, born in 1914 in Huang’an (now Hong’an), Hubei, who at the time was commander of the Third Brigade of the First Column. Zhang refers to Zhang Zhong (1912–1982), a native of Lu’an, Anhui, who was then deputy commander of the Third Brigade. Wu refers to Wu Zhaotong, born in 1913 in Xinyang, Henan, who at the time was deputy political commissar of the Third Brigade.  [5] Huang Lin (1913–1986) was a native of Liuyang, Hunan. At the time, he served as commander and political commissar of the Henan Military Region.