Chen-Xie Should Cross the River Sooner to Assist Liu-Deng[1]

(August 12, 1947)

Chen, Xie, Han, and inform Liu, Deng[2]:

Your telegram of the 20th hour on the 11th received. At present the enemy’s main force is pursuing Liu-Deng. If you can complete the river crossing only half a month after Liu-Deng have left the Longhai Line, your assistance to Liu-Deng will be too slow. Moreover, Hu Zongnan’s[3] main force is moving to reinforce Yulin; two brigades of the 36th Division arrived today between Hengshan and Yulin, and Liu Kan’s[4] five brigades arrived today at Shiwan. Peng-Xi[5] also earnestly hope you will cross the river soon to change the situation.

Military Commission
Wei-wen

[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; Xie Fuzhi, deputy secretary; and Han Jun, standing committee member.
[2] Liu, Deng refers to Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping, who were then respectively commander and political commissar of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army.
[3] Hu Zongnan was then director of the Xi’an Pacification Office of the Kuomintang army.
[4] Liu Kan was then commander of the Reorganized 29th Army of the Kuomintang army.
[5] Peng-Xi refers to Peng Dehuai and Xi Zhongxun, who were then respectively commander and political commissar of the Northwest Field Army and political commissar of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Shanxi-Suiyuan Joint Defense Army.