The tactic of defeating the enemy one by one must be applied in operations[1]

(September 13, 1946)

Zhang and Luo:

(1) Your telegram of 22:00 on the 12th received. Victory has been won at Sanchakou. Concentrate the main force to annihilate the reinforcing enemy; once this is accomplished, the operational situation can be opened up. (2) It is imperative to concentrate superior forces and dispose of the enemy part by part. Do not covet too much and spread your forces thin by engaging many enemies simultaneously. (3) Regarding the enemy within the city,[2] it is also necessary to concentrate forces to first dispose of one part, and after succeeding, proceed to dispose of the remaining parts one by one. (4) The tactic of defeating the enemy one by one must be applied in operations.

Military Commission

13:00, the 13th

[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, addressed to Zhang Zongxun, commander of the Datong Frontline Command, and Luo Ruiqing, its political commissar.
[2] Refers to the city of Jining in present-day Inner Mongolia.