Hold Firm in Southwestern Shandong to Smash the Enemy’s Attempt to Drive Us Across the Yellow River[1]

(August 5, 1947)

Chen, Su, Tan, the East China Bureau, and for the information of Liu and Deng[2]:

All your telegrams have been received. (1) The East China Bureau should remain in the Jiaodong area. Chen should swiftly move the 6th and 9th Columns to the east, join forces with Tan and the 2nd and 7th Columns, and contain the enemy from the opposite side so as to prevent the enemy from achieving its aim of driving us across the Yellow River. We have told you many times that the enemy’s basic plan is to drive us across the Yellow River, not to force us into the coastal area and Jiaodong. You must pay serious attention to this attempt. (2) At present, however, five of your columns have already reached the area west of the Grand Canal, which happens to be a good position for assisting Liu and Deng in carrying out their plan of attack. Liu and Deng, as well as the Chen-Xie Group,[3] have long been preparing for this plan, and it should not be easily shaken unless there are exceptionally grave circumstances. According to Liu and Deng’s telegram of jiangyou, the major flooding of the Yellow River this time has passed, and both the enemy and we are rushing to repair the river embankments; we should still strive to realize the original plan. According to Chen, Su, and Tan’s telegram of weizhi, the three columns under Chen and Tang[4] lost only a little over 5,000 men in this operation, which is not very large; there is no need to replenish their personnel, and they only need about ten days of rest before they can

[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 East China Field Army; Su Yu, Deputy Commander; Tan Zhenlin, Deputy Political Commissar; and the CPC East China Bureau.

[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.

[3] The Chen-Xie Group refers to the operational group composed of the 4th and 9th Columns of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army, the 38th Army of the Northwest Democratic United Army, and the 22nd Brigade of the Taiyue Military District, with Chen Geng as Secretary and Xie Fuzhi as Deputy Secretary of the Group’s Front Committee.

[4] Chen and Tang refer to Chen Shiju and Tang Liang, who were then respectively Chief of Staff and Director of the Political Department of the East China Field Army.

resume operations. When some units suffer slight losses and immediately complain endlessly, you should provide guidance. Ye and Tao’s[1] units have suffered relatively heavy attrition and should be replenished as appropriate, but it is not the case that they cannot fight without replenishment. These five columns should all be concentrated in Yuncheng and placed under Liu and Deng’s guidance for reorganization. You should quickly send Su Yu westward to take unified command of the five columns, shift the army’s supply center via the Bohai Sea to southwestern Shandong, strive to gain a firm foothold in southwestern Shandong, and assist Liu and Deng in their operations. Otherwise, there is the danger of being driven across the Yellow River by the enemy, and you must deal with this situation most seriously. (3) After Liu and Deng’s southward move is finally decided and carried out, the supplies originally obtained by Liu and Deng may be transferred to Su Yu, which, together with supplies from the Bohai area, will be sufficient to support the operations of the five columns. The Hebei-Shandong-Henan area shall remain under the administration of the Handan Bureau, but it should be designated temporarily as a mobile area for the East China Bureau. Liu and Deng are requested to handle this accordingly.

Central Military Commission

weiwiyou

[1] Ye and Tao refer to Ye Fei and Tao Yong, who were then respectively Commander of the 1st Column and Commander of the 4th Column of the East China Field Army.