Su Yu’s Unit and Chen Xie’s Unit Coordinate to Attack the Beiping–Hankou Railway[1]

(December 9, 1947)

Su, and inform Liu, Deng, Chen, Xie:

Your telegram of the 8th at 8:00 hours[2] received. (1) If there are no major difficulties, it is advisable for Su Yu’s unit to attack the Zhengzhou–Xuchang section of the Beiping–Hankou Railway[3] in coordination with Chen Xie’s attack on the Xuchang–Xinyang section[4]. After the Zhengzhou–Xuchang campaign concludes, it would also seem convenient to then attack Kaifeng and thoroughly destroy the Zhengzhou–Lanfeng[5] section of the Longhai Railway. (2) If Su Yu decides to attack the Zhengzhou–Xuchang section on the 13th, then the timing of Chen Xie’s attack on the Xuchang–Xinyang section may either coincide with Su’s or be advanced by a few days.

The Military Commission

9th, 14:00 hours

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[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, addressed to Su Yu, Deputy Commander of the East China Field Army.

[2] Refers to the telegram sent by Su Yu at 8:00 on December 8, 1947, to Liu Bocheng, Deng Xiaoping, the Central Military Commission, and Xu Xiangqian, Teng Daiyuan, and Bo Yibo. The telegram stated that the Western Corps of the East China Field Army had originally planned to clear out the enemy on the outskirts of Heze and seize Heze when opportune, primarily to draw in and annihilate enemy reinforcements. Now, in order to directly coordinate with the operations in the Dabie Mountains, it has been decided to immediately shift to the Zhengzhou–Xuchang section of the Beiping–Hankou Railway, or to attack Kaifeng, so as to divert the enemy forces on the southern front. However, the operation cannot commence until the 13th.

[3] The Zhengzhou–Xuchang section of the Beiping–Hankou Railway refers to the section of the railway from Beiping (present-day Beijing) to Hankou between Zhengzhou and Xuchang, now part of the Beijing–Guangzhou line.

[4] The Xuchang–Xinyang section refers to the railway from Xuchang to Xinyang, now part of the Beijing–Guangzhou line.

[5] Lanfeng, a former county name, merged with Kaocheng County in 1954 to form Lankao County in Henan Province.

1947, Mao Zedong with Lu Dingyi, Xie Juezai, Wang Ming, Cai Chang, and others at Yangjiagou, Mizhi County, northern Shaanxi.