Prevent the Enemy Forces from Escaping to Lianghuai or Lianyungang[1]

(December 1, 1948)

To Su, Chen, Zhang, and Tan, Wang, Li; and inform Liu, Chen, Deng, and the East China Bureau:

Foreign news agencies have revealed that the enemy in Xuzhou intends to flee toward Lianyungang. We estimate that, with Huang Wei’s Army Group[2] nearing annihilation and Qiu, Li, and Sun[3] already despairing of fleeing southward, the most likely directions of their flight will be toward either Lianghuai[4] or Lianyungang. You must therefore immediately make preparations on this point. The measures are as follows: (1) Order the Bohai Column to concentrate all its forces rapidly in the Daxujia-Shanji[5] area; (2) From the 2nd, 6th, 10th, and 11th Jiangsu Columns, immediately dispatch two columns to the line of Shuanggou[6]–Suining; (3) Instruct in advance the local forces of the Lunan and Huaihai military sub-districts to make arrangements so as to avoid being caught unprepared at the critical moment. Report on how the deployment is carried out.

The Military Commission

1 December, 0200 hours

[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee, addressed to Su Yu, acting commander and acting political commissar of the East China Field Army; Chen Shiju, chief of staff; Zhang Zhen, deputy chief of staff; and others.
[2] Huang Wei’s Army Group refers to the 12th Army Group of the Kuomintang army, with Huang Wei as its commander.
[3] Qiu, Li, and Sun refer to Qiu Qingquan, Li Mi, and Sun Yuanliang, who were then commanders of the Kuomintang’s 2nd, 13th, and 16th Army Groups, respectively.
[4] Lianghuai refers to Huaiyin and Huai’an in Jiangsu Province.
[5] Daxujia and Shanji are both town names, located respectively in the eastern and southeastern parts of Tongshan County, Jiangsu Province.
[6] Shuanggou is a town name, located in the northwestern part of Suining County, Jiangsu Province.