Sever the Link Between Huang Wei’s Corps and the Qiu Qingquan and Li Mi Corpses to Accomplish the Strategic Deployment for the Operation to Capture Xuzhou[1]

(November 11, 1948)

Liu, Chen, Deng; Su, Chen, Zhang; Tan, Wang, Li:[2]

(1) Judging from your telegrams of the morning of the 10th from Su, Chen, and Zhang, and from Tan, Wang, and Li, it appears that, apart from Feng Zhi’an’s group which has revolted in its entirety, Huang Baitao’s[3] five armies and ten divisions seem to have been completely surrounded by our forces and none has escaped. As for Qiu Qingquan’s corps,[4] because it mistakenly believed that six columns of our East China Field Army were advancing toward it from southwestern Shandong and because it also received a blow from one column of our Central Plains Fourth Column, we estimate that this enemy force will not dare to move. As for Li Mi’s corps,[5] because Xuzhou is weakly defended, Liu Zhi[6] has ordered it to withdraw quickly to reinforce Xuzhou and to take up positions between Xuzhou and the Yinhe River to guard against Feng Zhi’an’s troops and our forces moving south from Lincheng and Hanzhuang;[7] we estimate that it will not dare to move for the next few days either. Liu Zhi has been greatly shaken by the mutiny of Feng Zhi’an’s troops.
Not only has he hastily transferred Li Mi and Huang Baitao[1] westward, but he has also ordered Sun Yuanliang,[2] who had just reached Mengcheng, back to Su County (we estimate he may arrive there today, the 11th), and the 99th Army, which had just reached Bengbu, back to Xuzhou (we estimate that because the Xuzhou-Bengbu railway[3] has been frequently damaged recently, it may only get as far as the vicinity of Su County; Liu, Chen, and Deng, please have this reconnoitered). Liu Ruming’s[4] 68th Army is estimated to have already reached Bengbu, while his 55th Army is still hovering in the Xiaoxian area because its 181st Division has been surrounded and wiped out by us. Liu Zhi seems to have ordered this army to garrison Xiaoxian to cope with the threat to Xuzhou from our forces in the southwest, but he is bound to distrust it, and his transfer of the 99th Army to Xuzhou seems to be for the purpose of guarding against the 55th Army. If the 99th Army has not yet reached Xuzhou, Li Mi will still have to keep an eye on the 55th Army. In a day or two we shall broadcast an appeal to Liu Ruming, Liu Ruzhen, and Cao Fulin[5] to revolt with their troops. This will not only increase the worries of the Xuzhou side about Cao Fulin but also increase the worries of the Nanjing side about the Liu Ruming brothers[6] in Bengbu, and may force Nanjing to transfer Huang Wei’s corps[7] to the Bengbu area.

(2) Under these circumstances, provided you wipe out the two corps under Huang Baitao and Sun Yuanliang and capture Su County and the section of the railway between Xuzhou and Bengbu, Xuzhou will be completely besieged by us, and we can then prepare to wipe out Qiu Qingquan and Li Mi and capture Xuzhou in the second stage.

(3) After Huang Baitao and Sun Yuanliang have been wiped out and Qiu Qingquan and Li Mi are besieged, it is highly probable that Chiang Kai-shek will order Qiu and Li to break out southward or westward and order Huang Wei to meet them. Therefore, after the annihilation of Huang Baitao and Sun Yuanliang, the main forces of Su, Chen, and Zhang and of Tan, Wang, and Li, except for one unit to be stationed east of Xuzhou, should move quickly to the Xuzhou-Bengbu railway, centering on Su County, and to its two sides. Our Central Plains troops and the 3rd and Guangxi Columns of the East China Field Army should, after Su and Tan have reached the Xuzhou-Bengbu railway, move quickly to the area between Yongcheng and Shangqiu to sever the link between Huang Wei and Qiu and Li and thus accomplish the strategic deployment for the operation to capture Xuzhou. This deployment should be carried out immediately after the annihilation of Huang Baitao and Sun Yuanliang, around the 15th.

(4) The plan for Wei Guoqing and Ji Luo (Ji Pengfei)[8] to lead three columns in a westward movement by a roundabout southern route is excellent. But their first step should be to proceed to the Suining area to intercept the routed troops of Huang Baitao’s corps (we estimate that many of them will flee in that direction), and they should move to Suzhou only after Huang’s corps has been completely wiped out.

(5) The 10th Column under the command of Tan, Wang, and Li should move south quickly to control Shuanggou[9] and block Huang Baitao’s forces[10] from fleeing westward, and at the same time keep Xuzhou under surveillance from the southeast. The 7th and 13th Columns, after wiping out the enemy forces confronting them, should also pursue the fleeing enemy southward.

(6) Feng Zhi’an’s troops[11] should for the time being rest and regroup right where they are (Jiawang, Hanzhuang, and Taierzhuang[12]), which will serve to menace Xuzhou from the north. You should tell the officers of these troops that the enemy in Xuzhou will definitely not dare to attack them and that they can rest and train where they are and should not move rashly.

The Military Commission

Shen hour, 11th

[1] Li Mi and Huang Baitao.

[2] Sun Yuanliang was then commander of the Kuomintang’s 16th Corps.

[3] The Xuzhou-Bengbu railway refers to the section of the present Beijing-Shanghai line between Xuzhou and Bengbu.

[4] Liu Ruming was then commander of the Kuomintang’s 4th Pacification Zone.

[5] Liu Ruzhen and Cao Fulin were then deputy commanders of the Kuomintang’s 4th Pacification Zone.

[6] The Liu Ruming brothers refers to Liu Ruming and Liu Ruzhen.

[7] Huang Wei’s corps refers to the Kuomintang’s 12th Corps, commanded by Huang Wei.

[8] Wei Guoqing and Ji Luo (Ji Pengfei) were then commander and deputy political commissar, respectively, of the North Jiangsu Corps of the East China Field Army.

[9] Shuanggou is a town northwest of Suining County, Jiangsu Province.

[10] Huang Baitao’s corps.

[11] Feng Zhi’an’s troops refers to the former Kuomintang troops of the 3rd Pacification Zone who revolted under the leadership of He Jifeng and Zhang Kexia.

[12] Jiawang is a town northeast of Xuzhou Municipality, Jiangsu Province. Taierzhuang is a town in the southern part of present-day Zaozhuang Municipality, Shandong Province.

--- Notes

[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee to Liu Bocheng, commander of the Central Plains Field Army, Chen Yi, its first deputy commander, Deng Xiaoping, its political commissar, and others.

[2] Su, Chen, and Zhang refer to Su Yu, Chen Shiju, and Zhang Zhen, who were then acting commander and acting political commissar, chief of staff, and deputy chief of staff, respectively, of the East China Field Army. Tan, Wang, and Li refer to Tan Zhenlin, Wang Jian’an, and Li Yingxi, who were then political commissar, deputy commander, and chief of staff, respectively, of the Shandong Corps of the East China Field Army.

[3] Huang Baitao was then commander of the Kuomintang’s 7th Corps.

[4] Qiu Qingquan’s corps refers to the Kuomintang’s 2nd Corps, commanded by Qiu Qingquan.

[5] Li Mi’s corps refers to the Kuomintang’s 13th Corps, commanded by Li Mi.

[6] Liu Zhi was then commander-in-chief of the Kuomintang’s Bandit Suppression Headquarters in Xuzhou.

[7] Lincheng refers to present-day Xuecheng, Zaozhuang Municipality, Shandong Province. Hanzhuang is a town southeast of Weishan County, Shandong Province.