XII. THE ATTACK BY FIRE

XII. THE ATTACK BY FIRE

[Rather more than half the chapter (SS. 1-13) is devoted to

the subject of fire, after which the author branches off into

other topics.]

1. Sun Tzu said: There are five ways of attacking with

fire. The first is to burn soldiers in their camp;

[So Tu Mu. Li Ch`uan says: "Set fire to the camp, and kill

the soldiers" (when they try to escape from the flames). Pan

Ch`ao, sent on a diplomatic mission to the King of Shan-shan [see

XI. ss. 51, note], found himself placed in extreme peril by the

unexpected arrival of an envoy from the Hsiung-nu [the mortal

enemies of the Chinese]. In consultation with his officers, he

exclaimed: "Never venture, never win! [1] The only course open

to us now is to make an assault by fire on the barbarians under

cover of night, when they will not be able to discern our

numbers. Profiting by their panic, we shall exterminate them

completely; this will cool the King's courage and cover us with

glory, besides ensuring the success of our mission.' the

officers all replied that it would be necessary to discuss the

matter first with the Intendant. Pan Ch`ao then fell into a

passion: 'It is today,' he cried, 'that our fortunes must be

decided! The Intendant is only a humdrum civilian, who on

hearing of our project will certainly be afraid, and everything

will be brought to light. An inglorious death is no worthy fate

for valiant warriors.' All then agreed to do as he wished.

Accordingly, as soon as night came on, he and his little band

quickly made their way to the barbarian camp. A strong gale was

blowing at the time. Pan Ch`ao ordered ten of the party to take

drums and hide behind the enemy's barracks, it being arranged

that when they saw flames shoot up, they should begin drumming

and yelling with all their might. The rest of his men, armed

with bows and crossbows, he posted in ambuscade at the gate of

the camp. He then set fire to the place from the windward side,

whereupon a deafening noise of drums and shouting arose on the

front and rear of the Hsiung-nu, who rushed out pell-mell in

frantic disorder. Pan Ch`ao slew three of them with his own

hand, while his companions cut off the heads of the envoy and

thirty of his suite. The remainder, more than a hundred in all,

perished in the flames. On the following day, Pan Ch`ao,

divining his thoughts, said with uplifted hand: 'Although you

did not go with us last night, I should not think, Sir, of taking

sole credit for our exploit.' This satisfied Kuo Hsun, and Pan

Ch`ao, having sent for Kuang, King of Shan-shan, showed him the

head of the barbarian envoy. The whole kingdom was seized with

fear and trembling, which Pan Ch`ao took steps to allay by

issuing a public proclamation. Then, taking the king's sons as

hostage, he returned to make his report to Tou Ku." HOU HAN SHU,

ch. 47, ff. 1, 2.] ]

the second is to burn stores;

[Tu Mu says: "Provisions, fuel and fodder." In order to

subdue the rebellious population of Kiangnan, Kao Keng

recommended Wen Ti of the Sui dynasty to make periodical raids

and burn their stores of grain, a policy which in the long run

proved entirely successful.]

the third is to burn baggage trains;

[An example given is the destruction of Yuan Shao`s wagons

and impedimenta by Ts`ao Ts`ao in 200 A.D.]

the fourth is to burn arsenals and magazines;

[Tu Mu says that the things contained in "arsenals" and

"magazines" are the same. He specifies weapons and other

implements, bullion and clothing. Cf. VII. ss. 11.]

the fifth is to hurl dropping fire amongst the enemy.

[Tu Yu says in the T`UNG TIEN: "To drop fire into the

enemy's camp. The method by which this may be done is to set the

tips of arrows alight by dipping them into a brazier, and then

shoot them from powerful crossbows into the enemy's lines."]

2. In order to carry out an attack, we must have means

available.

[T`sao Kung thinks that "traitors in the enemy's camp" are

referred to. But Ch`en Hao is more likely to be right in saying:

"We must have favorable circumstances in general, not merely

traitors to help us." Chia Lin says: "We must avail ourselves

of wind and dry weather."]

the material for raising fire should always be kept in readiness.

[Tu Mu suggests as material for making fire: "dry vegetable

matter, reeds, brushwood, straw, grease, oil, etc." Here we have

the material cause. Chang Yu says: "vessels for hoarding fire,

stuff for lighting fires."]

3. There is a proper season for making attacks with fire,

and special days for starting a conflagration.

4. The proper season is when the weather is very dry; the

special days are those when the moon is in the constellations of

the Sieve, the Wall, the Wing or the Cross-bar;

[These are, respectively, the 7th, 14th, 27th, and 28th of

the Twenty-eight Stellar Mansions, corresponding roughly to

Sagittarius, Pegasus, Crater and Corvus.]

for these four are all days of rising wind.

5. In attacking with fire, one should be prepared to meet

five possible developments:

6. (1) When fire breaks out inside to enemy's camp, respond

at once with an attack from without.

7. (2) If there is an outbreak of fire, but the enemy's

soldiers remain quiet, bide your time and do not attack.

[The prime object of attacking with fire is to throw the

enemy into confusion. If this effect is not produced, it means

that the enemy is ready to receive us. Hence the necessity for

caution.]

8. (3) When the force of the flames has reached its height,

follow it up with an attack, if that is practicable; if not, stay

where you are.

[Ts`ao Kung says: "If you see a possible way, advance; but

if you find the difficulties too great, retire."]

9. (4) If it is possible to make an assault with fire from

without, do not wait for it to break out within, but deliver your

attack at a favorable moment.

[Tu Mu says that the previous paragraphs had reference to

the fire breaking out (either accidentally, we may suppose, or by

the agency of incendiaries) inside the enemy's camp. "But," he

continues, "if the enemy is settled in a waste place littered

with quantities of grass, or if he has pitched his camp in a

position which can be burnt out, we must carry our fire against

him at any seasonable opportunity, and not await on in hopes of

an outbreak occurring within, for fear our opponents should

themselves burn up the surrounding vegetation, and thus render

our own attempts fruitless." The famous Li Ling once baffled the

leader of the Hsiung-nu in this way. The latter, taking

advantage of a favorable wind, tried to set fire to the Chinese

general's camp, but found that every scrap of combustible

vegetation in the neighborhood had already been burnt down. On

the other hand, Po-ts`ai, a general of the Yellow Turban rebels,

was badly defeated in 184 A.D. through his neglect of this simple

precaution. "At the head of a large army he was besieging

Ch`ang-she, which was held by Huang-fu Sung. The garrison was

very small, and a general feeling of nervousness pervaded the

ranks; so Huang-fu Sung called his officers together and said:

"In war, there are various indirect methods of attack, and

numbers do not count for everything. [The commentator here

quotes Sun Tzu, V. SS. 5, 6 and 10.] Now the rebels have pitched

their camp in the midst of thick grass which will easily burn

when the wind blows. If we set fire to it at night, they will be

thrown into a panic, and we can make a sortie and attack them on

all sides at once, thus emulating the achievement of T`ien Tan.'

[See p. 90.] That same evening, a strong breeze sprang up; so

Huang-fu Sung instructed his soldiers to bind reeds together into

torches and mount guard on the city walls, after which he sent

out a band of daring men, who stealthily made their way through

the lines and started the fire with loud shouts and yells.

Simultaneously, a glare of light shot up from the city walls, and

Huang-fu Sung, sounding his drums, led a rapid charge, which

threw the rebels into confusion and put them to headlong flight."

[HOU HAN SHU, ch. 71.] ]

10. (5) When you start a fire, be to windward of it. Do

not attack from the leeward.

[Chang Yu, following Tu Yu, says: "When you make a fire,

the enemy will retreat away from it; if you oppose his retreat

and attack him then, he will fight desperately, which will not

conduce to your success." A rather more obvious explanation is

given by Tu Mu: "If the wind is in the east, begin burning to

the east of the enemy, and follow up the attack yourself from

that side. If you start the fire on the east side, and then

attack from the west, you will suffer in the same way as your

enemy."]

11. A wind that rises in the daytime lasts long, but a

night breeze soon falls.

[Cf. Lao Tzu's saying: "A violent wind does not last the

space of a morning." (TAO TE CHING, chap. 23.) Mei Yao-ch`en

and Wang Hsi say: "A day breeze dies down at nightfall, and a

night breeze at daybreak. This is what happens as a general

rule." The phenomenon observed may be correct enough, but how

this sense is to be obtained is not apparent.]

12. In every army, the five developments connected with

fire must be known, the movements of the stars calculated, and a

watch kept for the proper days.

[Tu Mu says: "We must make calculations as to the paths of

the stars, and watch for the days on which wind will rise,

before making our attack with fire." Chang Yu seems to interpret

the text differently: "We must not only know how to assail our

opponents with fire, but also be on our guard against similar

attacks from them."]

13. Hence those who use fire as an aid to the attack show

intelligence; those who use water as an aid to the attack gain an

accession of strength.

14. By means of water, an enemy may be intercepted, but not

robbed of all his belongings.

[Ts`ao Kung's note is: "We can merely obstruct the enemy's

road or divide his army, but not sweep away all his accumulated

stores." Water can do useful service, but it lacks the terrible

destructive power of fire. This is the reason, Chang Yu

concludes, why the former is dismissed in a couple of sentences,

whereas the attack by fire is discussed in detail. Wu Tzu (ch.

4) speaks thus of the two elements: "If an army is encamped on

low-lying marshy ground, from which the water cannot run off, and

where the rainfall is heavy, it may be submerged by a flood. If

an army is encamped in wild marsh lands thickly overgrown with

weeds and brambles, and visited by frequent gales, it may be

exterminated by fire."]

15. Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his battles

and succeed in his attacks without cultivating the spirit of

enterprise; for the result is waste of time and general

stagnation.

[This is one of the most perplexing passages in Sun Tzu.

Ts`ao Kung says: "Rewards for good service should not be

deferred a single day." And Tu Mu: "If you do not take

opportunity to advance and reward the deserving, your

subordinates will not carry out your commands, and disaster will

ensue." For several reasons, however, and in spite of the

formidable array of scholars on the other side, I prefer the

interpretation suggested by Mei Yao-ch`en alone, whose words I

will quote: "Those who want to make sure of succeeding in their

battles and assaults must seize the favorable moments when they

come and not shrink on occasion from heroic measures: that is to

say, they must resort to such means of attack of fire, water and

the like. What they must not do, and what will prove fatal, is

to sit still and simply hold to the advantages they have got."]

16. Hence the saying: The enlightened ruler lays his plans

well ahead; the good general cultivates his resources.

[Tu Mu quotes the following from the SAN LUEH, ch. 2: "The

warlike prince controls his soldiers by his authority, kits them

together by good faith, and by rewards makes them serviceable.

If faith decays, there will be disruption; if rewards are

deficient, commands will not be respected."]

17. Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your

troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless

the position is critical.

[Sun Tzu may at times appear to be over-cautious, but he

never goes so far in that direction as the remarkable passage in

the TAO TE CHING, ch. 69. "I dare not take the initiative, but

prefer to act on the defensive; I dare not advance an inch, but

prefer to retreat a foot."]

18. No ruler should put troops into the field merely to

gratify his own spleen; no general should fight a battle simply

out of pique.

19. If it is to your advantage, make a forward move; if

not, stay where you are.

[This is repeated from XI. ss. 17. Here I feel convinced

that it is an interpolation, for it is evident that ss. 20 ought

to follow immediately on ss. 18.]

20. Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may be

succeeded by content.

21. But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never

come again into being;

[The Wu State was destined to be a melancholy example of

this saying.]

nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.

22. Hence the enlightened ruler is heedful, and the good

general full of caution. This is the way to keep a country at

peace and an army intact.

[1] "Unless you enter the tiger's lair, you cannot get hold of

the tiger's cubs."