Should Concentrate at Mengcheng to Facilitate Mobile Operations[1]

(October 25, 1948)

Chen and Deng, and inform Rao, Su, and Tan[2] as well as Liu, Deng, and Li[3]:

Your telegram of the 24th at noon[4] received. The enemy at Kaifeng has already fled. You should not go to Kaifeng, nor should you go near Shangqiu. You should take the shortest route from your present location to concentrate at Mengcheng and rest for several days. Then directly take Bengbu and prepare to cross the Huai River and advance southward, occupying the Bengbu-Pukou section[5] of the railway. With the entire force of your army—four columns and eleven brigades (leaving only one brigade of the 9th Column to defend Zhengzhou, with Qin Jiwei[6] leading the main force of the 9th Column to follow up)—control the vast area south of the Huai River, north of the Yangtze River, east of the Huainan Railway, and west of the Grand Canal, drawing the enemy to attack you. You should then concentrate and disperse suddenly, maneuvering against the enemy, and prepare to hold out in this area for two to three months. This move is something the enemy will not anticipate. To guard against our crossing of the Yangtze, the enemy will inevitably divert forces from near Xuzhou to press southward, and it is also possible that Bai Chongxi’s[1] system will shift troops eastward. Our Huaye (East China Field Army) may then be able, within two months, to annihilate approximately one-third of the 55 divisions of Liu Zhi’s[2] system, that is, around 18 divisions, achieving a major victory. If the enemy deals with you using heavy forces, you may adopt the method of temporarily dispersing operations, deploying the entire army (twelve brigades) in a dispersed configuration between the Yangtze, Huai, Chao, and Yun[3] to evade their pressure and await Huaye’s southward advance. Please consider whether this plan is feasible. The final decision can await your arrival at Mengcheng; if at that time this strategy is deemed inconvenient, then carry out the Xuzhou-Bengbu[4] operational plan. If at that time Sun Yuanliang[5] is easy to strike, you may also strike northward at Sun Yuanliang. If Huang Wei[6] follows up and advances eastward, you may also turn back and strike Huang Wei. Mengcheng is a zone of mobility; you can go east, west, south, or north. Before you reach Mengcheng, the enemy will also not know exactly which point you intend to strike. Whether you agree to move out to Mengcheng, and the distance between Zhengzhou and Mengcheng, please inform us.

Military Commission
3:00 a.m., 25th

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--- Notes

[1] This telegram was drafted by Mao Zedong for the Military Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and addressed to the First Deputy Commander Chen Yi and Political Commissar Deng Xiaoping of the Central Plains Field Army.


[1] Bai Chongxi, then Commander-in-Chief of the Kuomintang’s General Headquarters for “Bandit Suppression” in Central China.


[2] Rao refers to Rao Shushi, then Political Commissar of the East China Military Region. Su and Tan refer to Su Yu and Tan Zhenlin, then Acting Commander and Acting Political Commissar, and Deputy Political Commissar, respectively, of the East China Field Army.


[2] Liu Zhi, then Commander-in-Chief of the Kuomintang’s General Headquarters for “Bandit Suppression” in Xuzhou.


[3] Liu, Deng, and Li refer to Liu Bocheng, Deng Zihui, and Li Da, then Commander, Deputy Political Commissar, and Chief of Staff, respectively, of the Central Plains Field Army.


[3] Yangtze, Huai, Chao, and Yun refer to the Yangtze River, Huai River, Chao Lake, and the Grand Canal.


[4] Refers to the telegram sent at noon on October 24, 1948, by Chen Yi and Deng Xiaoping to the Military Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and others, concerning the operational plan after the main force of the Central Plains Field Army advanced eastward. The telegram stated: We plan for our main force to occupy Kaifeng on the 27th, rest for one day, then march for five days to reach the area south and southwest of Shangqiu by November 2. After the eastern front engages, we will decide on further actions based on the situation.


[4] Xuzhou-Bengbu refers to Xuzhou in Jiangsu and Bengbu in Anhui.


[5] The Bengbu-Pukou section refers to the railway from Bengbu to Pukou, i.e., a section of today’s Beijing-Shanghai line.


[5] Sun Yuanliang, then Commander of the Kuomintang’s 16th Corps.


[6] Qin Jiwei, then Commander of the 9th Column of the Central Plains Field Army.


[6] Huang Wei, then Commander of the Kuomintang’s 12th Corps.