Military Commission Directive on the Operational Deployment of the Northern Shaanxi Troops in Coordination with the Three Great Armies on the Southern Front
(August 16, 1947)

Peng:

For the purpose of coordinating the large-scale southward advance operations of the armies of Chen-Xie, Liu-Deng, and Chen-Su, disrupting the overall situation of Chiang and Hu, swiftly recovering lost territory on the interior lines, and remedying the financial and grain crisis, it is proposed that our entire army of eight brigades urgently prepare ten days’ worth of carried grain within three days, and beginning on wei-ya [August 20] take the route west of Shuanghuyu, covering the distance in a six-day march to reach the Panlong-Qinghuabian area, rest for two days, and then employ the two brigades of Du-2 and Du-5 to delay the enemy’s southward advance step by step between Qinghuabian and Fuxian. Our main force of six brigades shall proceed along the highway, covering the distance in a five-day march to reach the vicinity of Luochuan, rest for three days, then continue southward along the highway, reaching the vicinity of Xianyang in about seven days (the speed of the march south of Luochuan shall be determined by the speed of the pursuing main force of Hu’s army), and thereafter turn toward Baoji, or move along the Xi-Lan Highway, or operate between the Jing and Wei Rivers, or withdraw to the Guanzhong border region to rest, depending on the circumstances. Please consider whether this plan is feasible and whether the carried grain can be prepared within three days. Furthermore, along the route, only engage scattered and weak enemy forces; all strongly fortified strongpoints shall be bypassed. Between Panlong and Luochuan, rely primarily on large quantities of captured enemy grain for supply; south of Luochuan, rely entirely on captured enemy grain for supply. Is this possible or not? If you agree to this plan, it is intended to order Chen-Xie to postpone crossing the river until wei-yang [August 22], so as to avoid prematurely alarming the Hu enemy. It is also estimated that the main force of Liu Kan can reach the line of Zhenchuan, Mizhi, and Jiaxian by wei-hao [August 19].

Military Commission
24:00 hours, August 16, at Caojiazhuang, 30 li west of Jiaxian (We shall arrive at Dahuiping tomorrow, the 17th).

---

Manuscript of the "Directive on the Operational Deployment of the Northern Shaanxi Troops in Coordination with the Three Great Armies on the Southern Front," drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China.