Agree to the Encirclement and Annihilation of Liao Yaoxiang's Corps and Other Deployments[1]

(October 21, 1948)

To Lin, Luo, and Liu, and for the information of the Northeast Bureau:

We fully agree to your plan of October 20 at 10:00 hours for the encirclement and annihilation of Liao Yaoxiang's Corps and all other deployments,[2] and have no supplementary opinions.

The Military Commission

October 21, 6:00 hours

[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee, addressed to Lin Biao, Commander of the Northeast Field Army; Luo Ronghuan, Political Commissar; and Liu Yalou, Chief of Staff.

[2] On October 20, 1948, at 10:00 hours, Lin Biao, Luo Ronghuan, and Liu Yalou sent a telegram to the Military Commission, stating: "After the resolution of the enemy at Jinzhou and Changchun, the enemy forces at Shenyang, Xinlitun, Zhangwu, Tieling, Fushun, Benxi, and other places may carry out a complete general retreat. Currently, the enemy's New 1st, New 3rd, New 6th, 71st, and 49th Armies at Zhangwu and Xinlitun may continue to advance toward Jinzhou, while the enemy at Jinxi will continue to move northward in coordination. However, the enemy at Xinlitun and Zhangwu may also pull back to Shenyang, joining the 207th Division (three brigades), the 53rd Army, the 52nd Army, and Wei Lihuang's direct subordinate units currently at Shenyang, Tieling, Fushun, and Benxi to retreat toward Yingkou." "In this major battle, the overall key lies in whether we can cut off the retreat route of the enemy at Xinlitun and Zhangwu. If the enemy's retreat route is cut off, the enemy at Shenyang will also be pinned down. If our 12th Column can encircle the enemy at Tieling, and the various independent divisions moving south can successively encircle the enemy at Shenyang and Fushun, it will be even more difficult for the enemy to retreat. Our army is determined to use the main force to pin down and annihilate the enemy. For the Yingkou direction, a small force can be deployed for coastal defense to prevent enemy reinforcements from the sea. If, by any chance, our army fails to catch the enemy at Xinlitun and Zhangwu, and that enemy turns to retreat toward Yingkou, then, except for the forces moving south from the vicinity of Changchun, our main force will rapidly advance eastward from Goubangzi to cross the river and engage in battle, annihilating the enemy between Yingkou and Niuzhuang."