Ciphered Telegram No. 58986 from Kovalev to Filippov [Stalin]

[handwritten at the top: to Cde. Stalin IV]

SECOND DIRECTORATE OF THE USSR ARMED FORCES GENERAL STAFF

CABLE Nº 58986                                                        TOP SECRET

Copy Nº 1 to Cde. Stalin             
Copy Nº 2 to Cde. Stalin
Copy Nº 3 to Cde. Molotov
Copy Nº 4 to Cde. Malenkov

from PEKING   received at 0810 12 October 1949  Copy Nº 2

EH

to FILIPPOV

I am sending you a telegram of Cde. MAO ZEDONG.

“To Cde. FILIPPOV.

We intend to transport one division by air from LANZHOU to URUMCHI for the province of XINJIANG to be occupied as quickly as possible. However, we are encountering great difficulty in this matter in a shortage of aviation fuel. In view of this we are thinking of using 40 transport aircraft with a sufficient quantity of fuel from PEKING in a trip from LANZHOU to URUMCHI. Then we will equip URUMCHI and HAMI as stopover points and to mix the fuel. Relying on these two points, URUMCHI and HAMI, the aircraft will shuttle from LANZHOU to URUMCHI. We intend to transport the one division in 10 trips.

Consequently we ask you to give instructions:

1. about the urgent shipment of a thousand tons of fuel to URUMCHI, of which 200 tons are to HAMI.

2. about the additional assignment of people to URUMCHI and HAMI to increase work to organize service at the airfields in URUMCHI and HAMI so that they can help the air regiment perform their tasks.

3. about sending five aircraft to URUMCHI at the disposition of Cde. PENG DEHUAI for use by his troops as reserve [aircraft].

[Stamp at the end of the first page:

Subject to return to the

VKP(b) CC Special Section 1664

Incoming Nº 3425/shs 12 October 1949

Please inform us whether this plan we have laid out is correct and advisable and approximately when it can be done.

I inform you that the military leader of the Kuomintang troops in the province of XINJIANG, General TAO SHIYAO [Translator’s comment: Tao Zhiyue, who was Xinjiang garrison commander and handed over control to the PLA], arrived in LANZHOU on 9 October, met with Cde. PENG DEHUAI, and agreements were reached on a number of questions, including about the reorganization of the Xinjiang Kuomintang troops into five divisions and the fastest possible entry of five PLA divisions into the province of XINJIANG. Therefore the transport of one division of our troops to URUMCHI was already justified by the agreement.

                                   MAO ZEDONG 11 October 1949“

Nº 166 KOVALEV 12 October

Deciphered by Araushkin at 1110 12 October

Typed [otp.] by Doronchenkova at 1200 12 October

Five copies printed. Nº 5 to file

                          Nº 6617

Verified by shift chief Mokr[in] 1215