Regarding the Operational Plan on the Peiping–Suiyuan Railway[1]

(December 19, 1948)

Lin, Luo, Liu, and inform Yang, Luo, Geng; Yang, Li; Bo, Teng, Zhao[2]:

(1) Your telegram of 14:00 on the 18th received. It is very good that the 4th Column has already begun advancing from Nankou[3] toward Zhangjiakou on the 17th. (2) The proposed operational plan for the Peiping–Suiyuan Railway[4] is roughly as follows: A. After the 4th Column arrives at Zhangjiakou and completes its deployment, Yang, Luo, and Geng shall immediately launch an attack on the 35th Army, preparing to resolve the battle in about five days. B. After the 35th Army is annihilated, Yang, Luo, and Geng’s forces shall rest and reorganize on the spot for about ten days, immediately incorporating prisoners into the units and initially assimilating them, and replenishing artillery shells. During these ten or so days, Yang, Li, and the 4th Column shall not attack Zhangjiakou, but must prevent the enemy from breaking out and fleeing. If the enemy flees, annihilate them; if they do not flee, continue to besiege them. C. Ten days later, Yang, Li, and the 4th Column shall conduct a feint attack on Zhangjiakou, the purpose being to draw the enemy forces currently advancing from Guisui[5] City

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

[2] Yang, Luo, Geng refers to Yang Dezhi, Luo Ruiqing, and Geng Biao, who were respectively Commander, Political Commissar, and Chief of Staff of the Second Corps of the North China Military Region at the time. Yang, Li refers to Yang Chengwu and Li Tianhuan, who were respectively Commander and Deputy Political Commissar concurrently Director of the Political Department of the Third Corps of the North China Military Region at the time. Bo, Teng, Zhao refers to Bo Yibo, Teng Daiyuan, and Zhao Erlu, who were respectively Political Commissar, Second Deputy Commander, and Chief of Staff of the North China Military Region at the time.

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

[4] The Peiping–Suiyuan Railway refers to the railway from Peiping (present-day Beijing) to Baotou in Suiyuan (present-day Inner Mongolia), i.e., the present-day Beijing–Baotou Railway.

[5] Guisui, former city name, present-day Hohhot, Inner Mongolia.

toward Jining and Fengzhen to reach the Ji-Feng area, rather than to genuinely attack Zhangjiakou. D. After annihilating the 35th Army and resting and reorganizing for about ten days, Yang, Luo, and Geng shall advance covertly south of Datong toward Guisui, and by a sudden move encircle the enemy forces left to defend Guisui and capture Guisui. If the enemy in the Ji-Feng area turns back to reinforce Guisui, then use one part of the forces to besiege Guisui and another part to first annihilate the reinforcing enemy, then capture Guisui. E. After Yang, Luo, and Geng have encircled the enemy at Guisui, if Yang, Li, and the 4th Column are confident in the balance of forces of annihilating the enemy at Zhangjiakou, they may attack Zhangjiakou at the same time as Yang, Luo, and Geng attack Guisui. If not confident, then wait until Yang, Luo, and Geng have captured Guisui, rested adequately, and returned to the vicinity of Zhangjiakou, before launching a coordinated attack on Zhangjiakou. (3) The above plan is conceived with the objective of completely annihilating Fu[1]’s forces, preventing the enemy in the Guisui area from withdrawing to the Hetao region and joining forces with Deng Baoshan, Ma Hongkui[2], and others, which would make subsequent pursuit and annihilation difficult. (4) This approach requires only one condition, namely that Lin, Luo, and Liu do not need the 4th Column to participate in operations in the Peiping–Tianjin area; if Lin, Luo, and Liu need the 4th Column for the Peiping–Tianjin operations, then this cannot be done. This is because for Yang, Luo, and Geng to attack and annihilate the 35th Army, rest and march, attack and annihilate the enemy in the Guisui area, and rest and march again to return to Zhangjiakou would require at least about one and a half months; even a simultaneous attack on Guisui and Zhangjiakou would require about one month. (5) Whether the above plan is feasible, please Lin, Luo, and Liu telegraph a reply, and request Yang, Luo, Geng and Yang, Li to provide their opinions.

Military Commission

19th, 09:00 hours

[1] Fu refers to Fu Zuoyi, then Commander-in-Chief of the Kuomintang’s “Bandit Suppression” General Headquarters for North China.

[2] Deng Baoshan, then Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Kuomintang’s “Bandit Suppression” General Headquarters for North China and concurrently Commander-in-Chief of the Shanxi-Shaanxi-Suiyuan Border Area General Headquarters. Ma Hongkui, then Deputy Director of the Kuomintang’s Northwest Military Governor’s Office.