Chapter 58 Regarding the Volunteer Army's policy of taking turns to fight [1]

(March 1, 1951) 1. It can be seen from the recent battles in the Korean battlefield [2] that the enemy will not withdraw from North Korea until most of them are wiped out, and it will take time to wipe out most of these enemies.Therefore, the Korean War may be protracted, at least I should prepare for it for two years.The enemy's current combat intention is to engage in a war of attrition with me.In the past month, after the enemy has established its position, after adjustments and supplements, it has looked for opportunities to launch a tentative attack on me. The purpose is to prevent me from making necessary rest at the front on the one hand, and to use its technical skills on the other hand. Conditions consume our army.At the same time, the enemy's raids on the coast and the uninterrupted bombing of transportation lines are very active.Only 60 to 70 percent of our army's supplementary supplies reached the front line, and 30 to 40 percent were bombed on the way.In the current one and a half months, because our new army has not arrived and the old army has not replenished, the enemy may re-enter and exit the north and south areas of the 38th Parallel [3].

2. In order to smash the enemy's intentions, persist in long-term combat, and achieve the goal of gradually annihilating the enemy, our Chinese Volunteers intend to adopt the policy of taking turns to fight.The Chinese Volunteer Army has decided to organize three rotations of troops, namely, the nine armies and thirty divisions currently fighting in North Korea will be the first volunteer army; There are two armies currently resting in the Wonsan and Hamhung areas) a total of nine armies and twenty-seven divisions will serve as the second volunteer force, and they will all reach the 38th parallel area in early April to replace the current six armies on the front line of the Han River. Task: The six armies to be transferred from the country and the four armies of the first volunteer army, a total of ten armies and thirty divisions, will be used as the third volunteer army, which will be deployed in mid-June.Four of the above-mentioned ten armies had to rest and reorganize after fighting for five months. After the second volunteer unit took over the front-line tasks, they were transferred to Pyongyang and Wonsan to rest and take care of coastal defense.The other two armies in the first volunteer army were transferred back to the country for replenishment.In the past four campaigns, the Chinese Volunteer Army has suffered more than 100,000 casualties and casualties in combat and non-combat, and is about to replenish 120,000 veterans and recruits; this year and next two years, another 300,000 casualties will be added, and another 300,000 will be replenished. Thousands of people, Eli will take turns to fight.

3. Based on my combat experience in January and February, three of my armies were heavily damaged in the battle north of Hamhung and were engaged in rest and reorganization. As a result, there are only six armies fighting on the front line. I have no reserve force, I cannot expand the results of the battle when the battle is won, and I cannot fight the enemy's reinforcements when the enemy reinforces them.At the same time, our army marched southward, and the rear line was long, so supply was very difficult, and troops had to be left on defense.Therefore, before the enemy has been wiped out in large numbers and under the condition that we have no air force cover, if we force the enemy to retreat southward too early, it will not be good for us to divide and annihilate the enemy.In view of this situation, until the nine corps of our second volunteer army reach the front line in early April, the enemy's army still has an advantage over us. The four armies of the Korean People's Army and the Korean People's Army defended the area north of the Namhan River to delay the enemy.But it must be estimated that in the next month and a half, the enemy may look for opportunities to attack and force me to fight.Under such circumstances, our army intends to let the enemy enter the north-south area on the 38th parallel. After the nine corps of our second volunteer army have arrived, we will start a new and powerful battle.We plan to wipe out tens of thousands of U.S. troops and Syngman Rhee's formed troops in the north and south areas of the 38th parallel within two and a half months from April 15 to the end of June after the arrival of my second unit, and then move to the South Han River and beyond. Advancing south is the most favorable.

In short, under the situation that the United States insists on continuing to fight, the U.S. military continues to receive a large amount of supplements and is preparing to fight a long-term war of attrition with our army, our army must prepare for a long-term war. In a few years, it will consume hundreds of thousands of Americans, so that they can overcome difficulties Only by withdrawing can the North Korean issue be resolved. Printed from originals kept at the Central Archives. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] This is an excerpt from Mao Zedong's telegram to Stalin.

[2] Refers to the fourth battle. [3] 38th line, see note [5] on page 99 of this volume.