The Chen-Xie Group Should Cross the River Ahead of Schedule[1]

(August 9, 1947)

Chen and Xie, and inform Liu and Deng[2] and Teng[3]:

(1) We have received Liu and Deng’s weiyu telegram. As of weiyu, Liu and Deng’s forces and the two Shandong armies have begun moving from Yuncheng toward the Henan-Anhui-Jiangsu border region and the Dabie Mountains. (2) In order to effectively assist Liu and Deng’s operations, our Chen-Xie Group should cross the river ahead of schedule, between weihui and weishan, first seize control of the mountainous area along the Tongguan-Luoyang section [of the railway],[4] and then decide on the next move in light of the situation. According to Liu and Deng’s weiyu telegram, Liu and Deng are currently in the midst of operations, and the Chen-Xie Group is temporarily under the command of the Military Commission. (3) Our attack on Yulin is drawing Hu’s[5] troops north for reinforcement. Hu has now ordered the 36th Division to rush from Jingbian via Hengshan toward Yulin, and the 1st Division, 90th Division, and other units to advance from north of Ansai toward Shiwan south of Hengshan. South of Luochuan, there are only the New 9th Brigade, the Temporary 2nd Brigade, the New 1st Brigade, etc., leaving the area extremely undefended.

The Military Commission

weijia

[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, addressed to Chen Geng, secretary of the Front Committee of the Chen-Xie Group of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army, and Xie Fuzhi, deputy secretary.
[2] Liu and Deng refer to Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping, who were then commander and political commissar, respectively, of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army.
[3] Teng refers to Teng Daiyuan, who was then the second deputy commander of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region.
[4] The Tongguan-Luoyang section refers to the railway from Tongguan to Luoyang, i.e., a section of the Longhai Line.
[5] Hu refers to Hu Zongnan, who was then director of the Kuomintang’s Xi’an Pacification Office.