Agree to Rapidly Encircle the Enemy at Nankou, Changping, Tangshan, etc.

(December 12, 1948)

Lin, Luo, Liu, and Cheng, Huang[2]:

All telegrams received and noted. (1) Agree to rapidly encircle the enemy at Nankou[3] and Changping. When encircling, take care to position the main force between Nankou and Beiping, and use only a small detachment to attack and occupy Badaling[4]. (2) Agree to rapidly encircle the enemy at Tangshan and Lutai[5]. If the enemy at Lutai has already withdrawn to Tanggu, then encircle Tanggu. (3) Xinbao’an[6] is indeed two divisions of the 35th Army; the other division of the 35th Army is in Beiping. The full strength of Cheng and Huang may be used to encircle Nankou and Changping.

Central Military Commission

1800 hours, 12th

[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, political commissar, and Liu Yalou, chief of staff.
[2] Cheng and Huang refer to Cheng Zihua and Huang Zhiyong, who were respectively commander and chief of staff of the Second Corps of the Northeast Field Army at the time.
[3] Nankou, a town located in the western part of Changping County, Beijing.
[4] Badaling, a pass on the Great Wall, located in the southern part of Yanqing County, Beijing.
[5] Lutai, a town, now the county seat of Ninghe County, Tianjin.
[6] Xinbao’an, a town located in the northwest of Huailai County, Hebei Province.