The Third Column may attempt to sever the Beiping–Tianjin railway upon reaching east of Beiping[1]

(December 11, 1948)

Lin, Luo, Liu:

Your telegram of 11th 15:00 hours[2] noted. (1) Since the Fifth Column can reach south of Nankou[3] by the morning of the 12th, that column may be employed in that sector and should not be redeployed further. (2) Upon reaching the area south of Tong County and east of Beiping (not south of Beiping), the Third Column may attempt to sever the Beiping–Tianjin railway[4], but must not destroy it.

Central Military Commission

11th, 22:00 hours

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[1] This telegram was drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee and addressed to Lin Biao, Commander of the Northeast Field Army, Luo Ronghuan, its Political Commissar, and Liu Yalou, its Chief of Staff.

[2] Refers to the telegram sent by Lin Biao, Luo Ronghuan, and Liu Yalou to the Central Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee and others at 15:00 hours on December 11, 1948. The telegram stated: The vanguard division of the Northeast Field Army’s Fifth Column reached Longtou (between Huailai and Shunyi) today and can reach south of Nankou and Changping by tomorrow morning (the 12th) to join forces with the Fourth and Eleventh Columns in intercepting and attacking the enemy at Nankou. The Third Column has been ordered to change course and advance toward Tong County and south of Beiping.

[3] Nankou is a town located in the western part of Changping County, Beijing.

[4] The Beiping–Tianjin railway refers to the railway line from Beiping (present-day Beijing) to Tianjin, now a section of the present-day Beijing–Shanghai line.