Concentrate All Forces to Annihilate Ou Zhen’s Army and Open the Path for Advancing Southward[1]

(January 18, 1947)

Chen and Chen, Su and Tan:

There is no doubt that Xue Yue[2] will inevitably contend with our army for the two lines of the Longhai and Taizao[3] railways. You must prepare to fight several large-scale battles of annihilation along these two lines to open the path for advancing southward. At present, aside from using a portion of the forces to strike at Zaozhuang, the main force should immediately prepare to strike at Ou Zhen[4], with the objective of annihilating eight brigades of Ou Zhen’s forces. All preparations must be completed within one week. Once Ou Zhen advances to the Longhai line, concentrate all forces to annihilate him. The sooner these preparations are completed, the better.

The Military Commission

Ziqiao

[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee, addressed to Chen Yi, commander and political commissar of the Shandong Field Army, and Chen Shiju, its chief of staff; and Su Yu, commander of the Central China Field Army, and Tan Zhenlin, its political commissar.
[2] Xue Yue was then director of the Xuzhou Pacification Headquarters of the Kuomintang.
[3] Taizao refers to Tai’erzhuang and Zaozhuang in Shandong Province.
[4] Ou Zhen was then commander of the Reorganized 19th Army of the Kuomintang.