The Wei-Ji Corps Should Fight Several More Battles Despite Fatigue[1]

(July 16, 1948)

To Su, Chen, Tang, and Zhang (to be forwarded to Guan and Pi[2]), with copies to Wei and Ji[3], the East China Bureau, Xu and Tan[4], and the Central Plains Bureau:

All telegrams received. The Wei-Ji Corps has won successive victories, which is most gratifying and reassuring. It is also entirely correct that the corps needs replenishment and rest. However, attention must be paid to the following: (1) In the coming twenty days to one month, they should fight several more small and medium-sized battles despite fatigue and attrition, and where conditions permit, strive to capture Suining, Lingbi, and certain strongholds in that area, so as to bring the vast region east of Xuzhou-Bengbu[5] and south of the Longhai Railway firmly under our control, coordinate with the Su forces to threaten Xuzhou, and assist Xu and Tan in capturing Jinan. They must not proceed immediately to rest and reorganization. (2) The Wei-Ji Corps should station one column permanently in Central Jiangsu, under the command of Guan and Pi for independent operations, while Wei and Ji concentrate the other two columns for operations in the Huai-Hai[6] region. The future rest and reorganization site for these two columns

[1] This telegram was drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Military Commission and addressed to Su Yu, acting commander and acting political commissar of the East China Field Army; Chen Shiju, chief of staff; Tang Liang, director of the Political Department; and Zhang Zhen, deputy chief of staff.
[2] Guan and Pi refer to Guan Wenwei and Chen Pixian, who were then respectively commander and political commissar of the Northern Jiangsu Military District.
[3] Wei and Ji refer to Wei Guoqing and Ji Luo (Ji Pengfei), who were then respectively commander and deputy political commissar of the Northern Jiangsu Corps of the East China Field Army.
[4] Xu and Tan refer to Xu Shiyou and Tan Zhenlin, who were then respectively commander and political commissar of the Shandong Corps of the East China Field Army.
[5] Xuzhou-Bengbu refers to Xuzhou in Jiangsu Province and Bengbu in Anhui Province.
[6] The Huai-Hai area referred to here is the region between Huaiyin, Huai’an, and Haizhou (now part of Lianyungang City) in Jiangsu Province.

should be in the Huai-Hai area, as proposed in Su’s telegram, and they should not go to the Yan-Fu[1] region. (3) Comrade Xu Xiangqian’s[2] three columns, after suffering fifteen thousand casualties in the capture of Linfen, rested for only twenty days before moving north to fight, and have since successively annihilated seven divisions (equivalent to brigades) and four army headquarters (equivalent to reorganized division headquarters) of Yan’s[3] forces. They are now encircling two enemy divisions, two general columns (roughly equivalent to brigades), one army headquarters, and one general headquarters south of Yuci, and are in the process of destroying them. Only one of Xiangqian’s columns has over twenty thousand men; the other two columns each have only over ten thousand men. Casualties in this major campaign are estimated to exceed ten thousand. The Military Commission is ordering this army, upon completing the operations south of Yuci, to immediately seize the Taiyuan airfield and prepare to capture Taiyuan. This situation should be made known to the cadres to boost morale.

Central Military Commission
Wu Xiao

[1] Yan-Fu refers to the Yancheng and Funing area in Jiangsu Province.
[2] Xu Xiangqian was then first deputy commander of the North China Military Region and commander and political commissar of the First Army Group.
[3] Yan refers to Yan Xishan, who was then director of the Taiyuan Pacification Headquarters of the Kuomintang army.