Make Use of Various Favorable Conditions to Continue Wiping Out the Enemy in Central Jiangsu[1]

(August 15, 1946)

Comrades Su and Tan:

Your telegram of wei-han-wu[2] received. Your views are quite correct. We hope you will make use of the various favorable conditions in Central Jiangsu and continue to fight there. If in the coming month you can fight another two or three victorious battles and continue to wipe out two or three enemy brigades, it will greatly help the situation as a whole.

The Military Commission

wei-shan

[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee to Su Yu, commander of the Central China Field Army, and Tan Zhenlin, its political commissar.

[2] This refers to the telegram sent by Su Yu and Tan Zhenlin to the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee at the wu hour (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) on August 14, 1946. The telegram stated: In our opinion, it is advantageous to fight in Central Jiangsu. (1) In Central Jiangsu, not only are the masses, terrain, transport, and grain supply more convenient than in Huainan, but there are also sufficient civilian resources to draw upon. At the same time, it poses a threat to the Yangtze River and directly pins down the enemy, preventing him from transferring forces elsewhere, and compels him to continue sending reinforcements. (2) The enemy in Central Jiangsu has already suffered three blows from the Central China Field Army, and those not wiped out have sustained heavy attrition and losses. (3) If the main force of the Central China Field Army moves westward, it must first capture the two cities of Xuyi and Tianchang; however, apart from paying a certain price, this may not necessarily succeed in drawing the enemy. If we bypass Tianchang and Xuyi and head straight for the railway line, the battlefield will be narrow and the rear area cannot be secured. Based on the above, we plan within the week to use a part of our forces to attack Nantong and Haimen, drawing the enemy south for reinforcement and then wiping them out. It is estimated that if we can wipe out another two enemy brigades, the situation in Central Jiangsu will take a further turn for the better.