Strive to Annihilate Sun Yuanliang’s Forces and Encircle Xuzhou[1]

(November 11, 1948)

Liu, Chen, Deng:

Your telegrams of the 10th at 13:00 and 16:00 hours[2] have been noted. (1) Your advance toward Suxian on the night of the 11th is very good. (2) Sun Yuanliang’s[3] 41st Army and 47th Army comprise a total of four divisions. Originally two regiments were left in Xuzhou, and this time Liu Zhi[4] has further ordered one regiment to remain in Mengcheng. Therefore, when you approach the vicinity of Suxian on the night of the 11th, the enemy you will encounter will be one corps headquarters, two army headquarters, and three divisions under Sun Yuanliang. We hope you will strive to annihilate this enemy. Victory in this battle will accomplish the strategic task of encircling Xuzhou. Thereafter, with Suxian as the center, control the entire Xuzhou-Bengbu line, construct several lines of defense to prevent the Xuzhou enemy[5]
from fleeing south, and when they attempt to flee south, coordinate with the East China Field Army to completely annihilate the Xuzhou enemy. However, simultaneous attention should be given to blocking and intercepting the routed troops of Huang Baitao.[1] (3) Following the uprising of Feng Zhi’an’s army, our 7th, 10th, and 13th Columns yesterday (the 10th) were engaged in attacking the 25th Army along the line of Houji, Daxujia, and Caobaji.[2] They have been ordered, after achieving success, to advance and attack toward the line of Shuanggou[3] and Lingbi. The various columns east of the canal are now attacking the 100th Army, 64th Army, and 44th Army. It is likely that Huang Baitao’s entire force will be unable to escape. (4) Qiu Qingquan[4] remains on the line between Xuzhou and Huangkou,[5] while Li Mi[6] has already pulled back to the area between Xuzhou and Yinhe. Liu Zhi’s troop dispositions are extremely chaotic. (5) According to Liu Zhi’s telegram of the 9th at 23:00–01:00 hours, the 99th Army is to be transported by rail from Bengbu to Xuzhou, but the railway is intermittently disrupted and they may be unable to get through. Please conduct reconnaissance.

Central Military Commission

11th, 04:00 hours

[1] Huang Baitao was then Commander of the 7th Corps of the Kuomintang Army.

[2] Houji and Daxujia are both towns located in the eastern part of Tongshan County, Jiangsu Province. Caobaji, now named Bayiji, is a town located in the western part of Pi County, Jiangsu Province.

[3] Shuanggou is a town located in the northwestern part of Suining County, Jiangsu Province.

[4] Qiu Qingquan was then Commander of the 2nd Corps of the Kuomintang Army.

[5] Huangkou is a town located in the northwestern part of Xiao County, Anhui Province.

[6] Li Mi was then Commander of the 13th Corps of the Kuomintang Army.

--- Notes

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

[2] Refers to the telegrams sent by Liu Bocheng, Chen Yi, and Deng Xiaoping to the Central Military Commission and to Su Yu, Chen Shiju, and Zhang Zhen on November 10, 1948, at 13:00 and 16:00 hours. The first telegram stated: “The main force of Qiu Qingquan’s Corps appeared to begin withdrawing eastward last night (the 9th). Tomorrow night (the 11th) we will dispatch three brigades to advance to the Xuzhou-Suxian line to destroy the railway. The main forces of the 3rd, 4th, and 9th Columns will be positioned in the mountainous areas flanking the railway to engage the enemy as opportunities arise. It is estimated that after our forces reach the Xuzhou-Suxian area, the enemy will inevitably launch attacks against us from both Xuzhou and Suxian in a north-south pincer movement. I have ordered Sun, Ding, and Ma to closely follow Qiu’s enemy forces as they move eastward, with their main force positioned southwest of Xuzhou to facilitate timely coordination in battle.” The second telegram stated: “We are now north of Yongcheng and, as ordered, will advance southward to Suxian tomorrow night (the 11th). Additionally, one brigade will rush to Jiagou tomorrow night (the 11th) to destroy the railway.”

[3] Sun Yuanliang was then Commander of the 16th Corps of the Kuomintang Army.

[4] Liu Zhi was then Commander-in-Chief of the Kuomintang Army’s Xuzhou “Bandit Suppression” General Headquarters.

[5] “Xuzhou enemy” refers to the Kuomintang Army’s Xuzhou “Bandit Suppression” General Headquarters and the forces of the 2nd and 13th Corps, which were then concentrated in Xuzhou.