Policy to Be Adopted Regarding Hu Zongnan’s Attempt to Open Up the Longhai Railway[1]

(November 4, 1947)

Chen, Xie, Han:

Hu Zongnan, taking advantage of the time when our main force in northern Shaanxi was attacking Yulin, has transferred two brigades of the 1st Division and one and a half brigades of the 36th Division to Tongguan to coordinate with the 30th Division and the 65th Division in attacking western Henan, with the aim of restoring communications along the Longhai Railway. Under these circumstances, our 12th Brigade and 17th Division should halt their westward advance, take up positions in the Lushi area to keep watch on the 65th Division, and cover the operations of the 4th and 9th Columns, which are now moving eastward and will later move southward. The 55th Division and one regiment of the Zha Brigade[2] should remain in their present positions and keep watch on the various enemies to the west. You should be prepared for the complete loss of all the cities of Shaanxian, Lingbao, Wenxiang, Mianchi, and Luoning, and hold fast only to the rural areas, with communications north and south of the Yellow River temporarily cut off. After you have opened up the situation in the east and the south and have sought opportunities to wipe out one or several elements of Li Tiejun’s Army Corps,[3] and after Hu’s forces have become dispersed along the Longhai Railway, you will then be able to find opportunities to wipe out Hu’s forces and reoccupy the Longhai Railway.

Central Military Commission

1400 hours, the 4th

[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China and 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] The Zha Brigade refers to the 22nd Brigade of the 8th Column of the Chen-Xie Group of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army, whose brigade commander was Zha Yusheng.

[3] Li Tiejun’s Army Corps refers to the 5th Army Corps of the Zhengzhou Command of the Kuomintang Army General Headquarters, whose corps commander was Li Tiejun.