Combat Missions for the Chen-Xie Group after the Capture of Lushi[1]

(September 13, 1947)

Chen, Xie, and Han:

Your telegram of the 12th at 8:00 hours has been received. (1) Congratulations on annihilating one regiment of the New 1st Brigade and capturing Lushi. (2) Our forces at Lushi should immediately proceed to capture the landlord strongholds west and south of Lushi, and, as opportunities arise, raid and occupy Shangnan and Jingziguan, mopping up the local landlord armed forces in that area and compelling Hu Zongnan[2] to disperse his troops to deploy defenses across the various counties of southern Shaanxi. (3) With the exception of one brigade (or one regiment) of the Qin Column[3] positioned east of Xin’an to pin down the enemy’s 64th Brigade and other units at Luo[4], the main force under Qin should immediately develop operations toward the southeast, seizing opportunities to capture weak points such as Yiyang[5], Linru, Lushan, Baofeng, Jiaxian, Fangcheng, and Nanzhao, thereby compelling the main enemy force at Luo (the Reorganized 3rd Division) to rush to the southeast for rescue. In sum, the further the Qin Column develops toward the southeast, the more consolidated and secure Xin’an and Mianchi will become.

Central Military Commission

13th, 14:00 hours

[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee, 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, member of the Standing Committee.
[2] Hu Zongnan, then Director of the Xi’an Pacification Headquarters of the Kuomintang Army.
[3] The Qin Column refers to the 9th Column of the Chen-Xie Group of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army, with Column Commander Qin Jiwei.
[4] Luo refers to Luoyang, Henan.
[5] Yiyang, former county name, now Ruyang, Henan.