September 13, 1958
Letter, Mao Zedong to Zhou Enlai and Huang Kecheng
This document was made possible with support from Chun & Jane Chiu Family Foundation
周总理、黄克诚同志：
送来连日金门情况二件及我军命令一件，收到。除照你们命令规定路线执行以外，白天黑夜打零炮，每天廿四小时，特别是黑夜，特别是对对料罗湾三海里以内，打零炮（每天二三百发），使敌昼夜惊慌，不得安宁，似有大利，至少有中利小利。你们意见如何？大打之日，不打零炮。小打之日，即是打零炮。特别黑夜对料罗湾打，白天精确地较准炮位，黑夜如法泡〈炮〉制，似较有利。请征询前线研究，看可行否？华沙谈判，三四天或者一周以内，实行侦察战，不要和盘托出。彼方亦似不会和盘托出，先要对我们进行侦察。周、彭、张、乔（冠华）诸位意见如何？
顺祝旗开得胜！
毛泽东
九月十三日于武昌
Premier Zhou and Comrade Huang Kecheng:
[I] have received [the documents] you sent to me, including two intelligence reports on Kinmen’s [Quemoy; Jinmen] situation and the order of our military. In addition to carrying out [the operations] in accordance with the lines set up by the order, it is also necessary to fire some scattered shells day and night around the clock, especially at night, shelling especially the area within the three-mile radius of Liaoluowan. The sporadic shelling (200 to 300 shells a day) will make the enemy panicky and restless day and night. It seems to me that [doing this] is a big, or at least moderate, advantage [to us]. What is your opinion about it? On the days of heavy shelling we will not fire scattered shells. On the days of light shelling we will use this method. For the sake of shelling Liaoluowan at night, [we] should accurately calibrate battery emplacements during daytime, which will make the shelling at night more accurate. Please seek opinions from [the people at] the front, to see if this method is workable or not.
As far as the Warsaw talks are concerned, in the next three to four days, or one week, [we] should not lay all of our cards on the table, but should test [the Americans]. It seems that it is unlikely for the other side to lay all of their cards out, and that they will also test us. What is your opinion, Zhou [Enlai], Peng [Dehuai], Zhang [Wentian], and Qiao [Guanhua]?
Congratulations for the success from the very start.
Mao Zedong
13 September, from Wuchang
Mao sends instructions about the shelling of Kinmen Island in the Taiwain Strait.
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