After the Datong Campaign, Prepare for the Ping-Han Campaign[1]

(August 6, 1946)

Nie:

After you have made arrangements for the Datong Campaign,[2] I hope you will concentrate your attention on preparing for the Ping-Han Campaign. All troops listed in the order of battle for the Ping-Han Campaign must promptly replenish personnel and weapons and undergo training in techniques for attacking cities. The headquarters should complete reconnaissance matters and draft operational plans. All preparatory matters must be completed before the end of the month. As soon as Datong is successfully taken, immediately commence operations on the Ping-Han front.

Military Commission

Weiyu

[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, addressed to Nie Rongzhen, commander and political commissar of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region.

[2] On July 31, 1946, one unit each from the Shanxi-Suiyuan Military Region and the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region launched the Datong Campaign. By August 4, they had annihilated over 2,000 Nationalist troops on the outskirts. On August 14, they began capturing the city gates and suburban strongholds. By early September, they had cleared all suburban strongholds and the Nationalist defending forces at the North Gate and West Gate. Later, because more than 30,000 Nationalist troops from the 12th War Zone captured Jining on September 13 to reinforce Datong, the forces of the Shanxi-Suiyuan and Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Regions lifted the siege of Datong on September 16.