Postpone the Attack on Su County and Cut the Link Between Guzhen and Bengbu[1]

(November 16, 1948)

Liu, Chen, Deng:

Your telegram of the 15th at 17:00 hours is noted. In order to prevent the enemy at Guzhen (the 68th Army) from shrinking back to Bengbu due to the capture of Su County, thereby facilitating their annihilation, if Su County has not yet been taken, it seems advisable to postpone the attack for one or two days and order the 4th Column to move south rapidly to cut the link between Guzhen and Bengbu, or to draw one column from those near Su County to move south and carry out the task of blocking and separation. What do you think? Please consider and act accordingly.

The Military Commission

16th, 03:00 hours

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