Comrades Chen and Xie’s Forces Should Speedily Prepare for the Advance into Western Henan[1]

(July 22, 1947)

Xu, Teng, Bo, and Wang, with copies to Liu, Deng, Zheng, Li, Xie, and Han[2]:

Your telegram of the 20th[3] has been received. (1) It has been decided that the Chen-Xie Column, the Qin Jiwei Column[4], the Fifth Division[5], and the Thirty-eighth Army—four units in all—shall be placed under the unified command of Chen and Xie for the advance into western Henan. The Southern Hebei Column shall remain temporarily in northern Henan, and it is advisable for the Taiyue Column to remain temporarily in southern Shanxi. (2) The time for the move must be before August 25. Since the Chen-Xie Column is already

prepared, it is expected that the Qin Column, the Fifth Division, and the Thirty-eighth Army shall speedily make preparations and must complete them before August 20. All matters, including boats, funds, grain, cadres, replenishment of new recruits, and political mobilization, shall be prepared and completed according to this schedule. (3) Order the Southern Hebei Column to prepare to attack and capture Baipo, and the Taiyue Column to prepare to attack and capture Yuanqu. The attacks on these two points must coincide with the crossing of the river by Chen and Xie’s forces; do not prematurely reveal the intention. (4) If the Fifth Division lacks sufficient preparation time, that division may postpone its southward advance by half a month, but the remaining units must cross the river on schedule. (5) After the Fifth Division sets out, Li Xiannian may proceed to work at Liu and Deng’s headquarters, accompanied by personnel from the Central Plains Bureau and Wang Shusheng[1], and bringing a group of cadres.

Military Commission

Wuyang

--- Notes

[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee, addressed to Xu Xiangqian (First Deputy Commander), Teng Daiyuan (Second Deputy Commander), Bo Yibo (First Deputy Political Commissar), and Wang Hongkun (Third Deputy Commander) of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region.


[1] Wang Shusheng, formerly Commander and Political Commissar of the Northwest Hubei Military Region, had by this time moved to the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan area.

[2] Liu and Deng refer to Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping, who were then respectively Commander and Political Commissar of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army. Zheng refers to Zheng Weisan, then First Deputy Secretary of the Central Plains Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Li refers to Li Xiannian, then Second Deputy Secretary of the Central Plains Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Deputy Commander of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army. Xie and Han refer to Xie Fuzhi and Han Jun, then respectively Political Commissar and Deputy Commander of the Fourth Column of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army.


[3] This refers to the telegram sent by Teng Daiyuan to the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee on July 20, 1947. The telegram stated: The enemy forces in western Henan are weak. In addition to the Taihang Column entering western Henan for operations, the entire Southern Hebei Column and two brigades of the Taiyue Column should simultaneously cross south for operations, and it is proposed to deploy the main force of the Taiyue Column to attack strongholds such as Yuanqu, Baipo, Jiaozuo, and Huixian, so as to clear the obstacles to the southward advance.


[4] The Chen-Xie Column refers to the Fourth Column of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army, with Chen Geng as Column Commander and Xie Fuzhi as Political Commissar. The Qin Jiwei Column refers to the Ninth Column of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army, with Qin Jiwei as Column Commander.


[5] The Fifth Division refers to the former Fifth Division of the New Fourth Army. At this time, the Fifth Division was the Twelfth Column of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army, with Zhao Jimei as Column Commander.