Telegram to Peng Dehuai [1] et al. Regarding Readiness to Immediately Annihilate Parachute-Borne Enemy Forces (November 24, 1950)  To Peng, Deng, Park, and Hong [2], with copy to Gao and He [3]:

(1) Your operational deployment of 7:00 a.m. today is entirely correct; please implement it resolutely.

(2) Please pay close attention to the possibility of enemy parachute units landing behind our lines. You should keep the necessary armed forces and motor vehicles under your direct control and that of the logistics department, so as to be prepared at any moment to annihilate such airborne enemy forces. The enemy has already landed a group of intelligence personnel in the area east of Yunshan, who are reportedly moving toward the Yalu River border. Be vigilant and ready to eliminate them.

(3) Please give full consideration to the security of the leading organs; under no circumstances should you be complacent.

(4) In this campaign, the enemy may employ incendiary bombs. Please study countermeasures accordingly.

(5) Your action of releasing American prisoners of war has already yielded excellent results on the international stage. Please make preparations to release another large contingent following this campaign—say, three to four hundred men.

Mao Zedong  10:30 p.m., November 24  Printed from the original verbatim record preserved in the Central Archives. Included in Selected Military Works of Mao Zedong (Internal Edition).

Notes  [1] Peng Dehuai was then Commander and Political Commissar of the Chinese People’s Volunteers.

[2] Deng refers to Deng Hua, Park to Pak Il-woo; both were at the time Deputy Commanders and Deputy Political Commissars of the Chinese People’s Volunteers. Hong refers to Hong Xuezhi, who served as Deputy Commander of the Chinese People’s Volunteers.

[3] Gao refers to Gao Gang, who at the time was Commander and Political Commissar of the Northeast Military Region of the People’s Liberation Army. He refers to He Jinyuan, who was then Deputy Commander of the Northeast Military Region.