Chapter 117 Combat missions of the Western Corps[1]

(August 24, 1947) Chen Su[2], and sued Liu Deng[3], East China Bureau: Comrade Su Yu's clever telegram[4] is extremely correct.The combat scope of the Western Corps is stipulated to be south of the Yellow River, north of the Huaihe River, west of the Canal, and east of Pinghan.At present, apart from the Six Columns, Ten Columns, and Pao Columns resting in Zhangqiu Town, Liaocheng, and quickly preparing to move southward, please order Ju Tang, Ye Taozun, Liu Deng, Chen Chen, and Ma Shen[6] to capture the weak counties in southwestern Shandong and massively destroy them. Attack the Bianxu line.The second step is to prepare to move to Lunan, and we must take active actions to support Liu Deng's operations.At present, about twenty brigades of enemy troops are advancing towards Liu and Deng, and the southwestern Shandong and the Henan, Anhui and Soviet border areas are relatively empty.You must wipe out several enemy units within September and December, capture most of the weak towns, and gradually create these two areas into favorable battlefields and support Liu and Deng's rear.If the Western Corps fails to achieve the above goals within nine or twelve months, and Liu Deng cannot stand in the Dabie Mountains or even suffers disadvantages, and is forced to return north, it will be detrimental to the overall situation.A brigade of about 5,000 men can easily be used for combat, and there should be no need to constantly worry about replenishing the brigade. Instead, we should promote the style of not being afraid of sacrifices and difficulties, fighting continuously, and attacking fiercely.After a major battle (including several battles), the rest time should not be too long, ten days and a half months is enough, and the whole month rest should only be done once or twice a year, because the enemy situation does not allow us to take a long rest .The Northwest Field Army commanded by Deputy Commander Peng[7] used to have only six brigades, but since this month two brigades have been added from Northwest Shanxi. The two local brigades with very weak combat capabilities fought for more than five months (starting on March 19th). They did not recruit new recruits from the Liberated Areas at all, but only captured soldiers. They wiped out about eight brigades in five months.They fought continuously, with only five to ten days of rest after each battle, but now not only were their numbers slightly larger than before the battle, but their combat effectiveness had also increased.In the first year of combat, our East China Army has shown itself to be the army with the largest record in all regions of the country. In July, the reduction of personnel was relatively large, which did not harm the overall situation.I hope that you will rush to the southwest of Shandong as soon as possible to command all the columns of the Western Corps and cooperate with the local Corps to complete the great mission entrusted to us by the Central Committee of the East China Army.I trust that you will be able to accomplish this task.In order to carry out missions resolutely and effectively, it is necessary to make all units of the entire corps from top to bottom (all commanders and fighters) clearly understand their missions.The Western Corps was dispatched hastily this time, and the new mission of fighting in the areas west of the Canal, north of the Huaihe River, south of the Yellow River, and east of Ping-Han has not yet been fully communicated.It is hoped that the heads of the various verticals will be quickly conveyed, and cadres at all levels should be asked to study the geographical environment (each person above the battalion commander should be given a simple map), as well as the conditions of the people and the enemy, so as to facilitate combat.The basic task of the second year of operations is to lead the war to the Kuomintang areas, and part of the task is to annihilate the enemy on the inside, so as to undermine the Kuomintang's plan (lead the war to the liberated areas, destroy the liberated areas, so that it cannot last), so that we can disperse the enemy and defeat the enemy one by one. , and to keep the Liberated Areas from being destroyed and to make the war protracted.This strategic policy must also be fully understood by cadres at all levels.Please forward this telegram to comrades at the vertical and brigade levels of the Western Corps and Eastern Corps[8].Comrade Chen Yi has returned from Bohai, when will you arrive in Liaocheng?

Mao Zedong Unrespected Printed from manuscript. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] The West Corps refers to the West Front Corps of the East China Field Army, also known as the Outer Line Corps. Eleven Columns. [2] Chen Su, referring to Chen Yi and Su Yu, who were respectively the commander, political commissar and deputy commander of the East China Field Army at that time. [3] Liu Deng refers to Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping, who served as the commander and political commissar of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army at that time.

[4] Refers to the telegram sent by Su Yu to the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China and the East China Bureau on August 18, 1947.The telegram said: Judging by the recent situation, most of the enemy may go with Liu Dengnan. Therefore, the Western Corps should operate in the southwestern part of Shandong and on the Longhai line. Effectively hold down enemies and look for opportunities to annihilate weaker ones.If this plan can be effectively implemented, it will not only deter a part of the enemy from going south, but also force the enemies on the Luzhong and Jiaoji lines to withdraw part of the enemy to the west.It is suggested that after the Eastern Corps quickly completes its replenishment, the first step is to annihilate the enemies in the north and south of Yishui, and the second step is to attack the Linyi and Mengyin areas, echoing the Western Corps. Then to Longhai.The Western Corps planned to take the west bank of the canal as the center after opening up the situation in Taixi and joining Chen Tang.

[5] Ju Tang, referring to Chen Shiju and Tang Liang, who were respectively the Chief of Staff and Director of the Political Department of the East China Field Army at that time.Ye Tao, referring to Ye Fei and Tao Yong, were respectively the commanders of the first column and the fourth column of the East China Field Army at that time. [6] Chen, Ma Shen, that is, Chen Shi on the 20th and Shen Shi on the 21st. [7] Deputy Commander Peng refers to Peng Dehuai, who was then Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Commander and Political Commissar of the Northwest Field Army.

[8] Eastern Corps, refers to the Eastern Front Corps of the East China Field Army, also known as the Internal Corps, under the jurisdiction of the second, seventh, ninth columns and the thirteenth column that is being formed.