Combat at Jinzhou and Tangshan Should Be Considered First[1]

(July 30, 1948)

Lin, Luo, Liu:

Regarding your new operational plan, we feel you should first consider combat at Jinzhou and Tangshan. Whenever possible, you should attack and capture Jinzhou and Tangshan, completely or largely annihilate Fan Hanjie’s[2] group, and then strike toward Chengde and Zhangjiakou against Fu Zuoyi[3]. If you do not strike Fan Hanjie first but instead strike Fu Zuoyi, then Wei Lihuang[4] will concentrate large forces along the Jinzhou-Tangshan line, and Wei and Fan will join forces to reinforce Fu to the west. At that time, you may find yourselves in a very difficult position. Grain supplies to the west are extremely scarce, whereas the east is a grain-producing region. You must fully take this point into account. Whether it is possible to strike Fan Hanjie first, we hope you will telegraph your views.

Central Military Commission
30th day, Wu hour

[1] This telegram was drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee and addressed to Lin Biao, commander and concurrently political commissar of the Northeast Field Army; Luo Ronghuan, deputy political commissar; and Liu Yalou, chief of staff.
[2] Fan Hanjie was then director of the Jinzhou Command Post of the Kuomintang’s Northeast “Bandit Suppression” General Headquarters.
[3] Fu Zuoyi was then commander-in-chief of the Kuomintang’s North China “Bandit Suppression” General Headquarters.
[4] Wei Lihuang was then commander-in-chief of the Kuomintang’s Northeast “Bandit Suppression” General Headquarters.