Tasks for Annihilating the Enemy During
the First and Second Battles of the Huai-Hai
Campaign
(November 7, 1948, 8:00 P.M.)
To Su [Yu], Chen [Shiju], Zhang [Zhen], Zhong [Qiguang, 1909–1991, native
of Hunan], and Liu [Ruilong], and for the information of Chen [Yi] and Deng
[Xiaoping], the East China Bureau, and Wang [Jian’an] and Tan [Zhenlin]:1
	 1.	 We completely agree with your deployment for the attack as laid out in your
telegram of November 6,2 and expect you to carry it out resolutely. Unless
there are especially major changes, do not modify the plan. The more resolute you are, the more likely it is that you will achieve victory. Within these
guidelines, you may act according to your own discretion, and you need not
ask for instructions in each case. You should, however, send reports regarding the status of the battle and your own views once a day, once every other
day, or once every three days.
	 2.	 We estimate that the first battle will take about ten days, during which time
you will strive to destroy Huang Baitao’s3 ten divisions (including the Forty fourth Army), Li Mi’s4 one to two divisions, Feng Zhi’an’s5 four divisions

(including those troops that may revolt), and Liu Ruming’s6 six divisions
(including those troops that may revolt), for a total of twenty-one to twenty two divisions. If you can fulfill this task, the entire situation will change. You,
together with Chen and Deng, may be able to move close to the Xu[zhou]-
Beng[bu] railway, and Chiang Kaishek may withdraw his military forces
from Xuzhou and the neighboring areas and then shift them to the south
of Bengbu. If the enemy does not withdraw, we can launch a second battle
immediately, wiping out Huang Wei and Sun Yuanliang,7 and completely
isolating the enemy at Xuzhou.
	 3.	 To continue fighting and annihilating much of the enemy, you should adopt
the method of the Ji’nan Campaign, that is, reinforce the fighting units during
and immediately after battle to ensure that these units always have sufficient
soldiers and strong morale. This point is very important. For this purpose,
you should move the reinforcements in the rear areas to locations close to the
battles to allow for the rapid reinforcement of the fighting units with trained
recruits and captives and, at the same time, to immediately take over and
train captives from this campaign to reinforce the troops.
The Military Commission

---

Notes

Our source for this text is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 5, pp. 177–79, where it is
reproduced from the original in the Central Archives.
# Source: en:MRP

--- Notes

1.  Mao Zedong drafted this telegram on behalf of the Central Military Commission.
Su Yu was acting commander and acting political commissar of the East China Field
Army. Chen Shiju was chief-of-staff, Zhang Zhen (张震) was deputy chief-of-staff, Zhong
Qiguang (1909–1991, born in Pingjiang, Hunan) was deputy director of the Political
Department, and Liu Ruilong (1910–1988, native of Jiangsu) was deputy chief-of-staff of
the East China Field Army. Chen Yi and Deng Xiaoping were first deputy commander and
political commissar, respectively, of the Central Plains Field Army. Wang Jian’an and Tan
Zhenlin were deputy commander and political commissar, respectively, of the East China
Field Army’s Shandong Corps.

2.  The telegram from Su Yu et al. stated their intention to carry out the Huai-Hai Campaign according to the plan that had already been decided upon, and it laid out their next
steps.

3.  Huang Baitao was commander of the Guomindang army’s Seventh Army Group.

4.  Li Mi was commander of the Guomindang army’s Thirteenth Army Group.

5.  Feng Zhi’an was commander of the Guomindang army’s Third Pacification Zone.
DOI:  10.4324/9781315719436-178

6.  Liu Ruming was commander of the Guomindang army’s Fourth Pacification Zone.

7.  Huang Wei and Sun Yuanliang were commanders of the Guomindang army’s Twelfth
and Sixteenth army groups, respectively.