Chapter 12 - The Attack by Fire

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Episode Transcript

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Chapter twelve, The Attack by Fire. One, Swinter said there are five
ways of attacking with fire. Thefirst is to burn soldiers in the camp.
The second is to burn stores.The third is to burn baggage trains.

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The fourth is to burn arsenals andmagazines. The fifth is to hurld
dropping fire amongst the enemy. Two. In order to carry out an attack,
we must have means available. Thematerial for raising fire should always be

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kept in readiness. Three. Thereis a proper season for making attacks with
fire and special days for starting aconflagration. Four. The proper season is
when the weather is very dry.The special days are those when the moon

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is in the constellations of the sea, the war, the wind, or
the cross bar. For these fourare all days of rising wind. Five.
In attacking with fire, one shouldbe prepared to meet five possible developments.

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Six One, when fire breaks outinside to enemy's camp, respond at
once with an attack from without.Seven Two. If there is an outbreak
of fire but the enemy's soldiers remainquiet, bide your time and do not
attack. Eight Three When the fallsof the flames has reached its height,

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follow it up with an attack ifthat is practicable. If not, stay
where you are. Nine Four.If it is possible to make an answord
with fire from without, do notwait for it to break out within,
but deliver you attack at a favorablemoment. Ten. Five. When you

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start a fire, be to windwardof it. Do not attack from the
leeward. Eleven. A wind thatrises in the daytime lasts long, but
a night breeze soon falls. Twelve. In every army, the five developments

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connect with fire must be known,the movements of the stars calculated, and
the watch kept for the proper days. Thirteen. Hence, those who use
fire as an aid to the attackshow intelligence. Those who use water as
an aid to the attack gain anaccession of strength. Fourteen. By means

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of water, an enemy may beintercepted, but not robbed of all his
belongings. Fifteen. Unhappy is thefate of one who tries to win his
battles and succeed in his attacks withoutcultivating the spirits of enterprise, for the

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result is waste of time and generalstgnation. Sixteen. Hence the saying the enlightened
ruler lays his plans well ahead.The good general cultivates his resources. Seventeen.
Move not unless you see an advantage. Use not your troops unless there

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is something to be gained. Fightnot unless the position is critical. Eighteen.
No ruler should put troops into thefield merely to gratify his own spleen.
No general should fight the battle simplyout of peak. Nineteen. If

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it is to your advantage, makea forward move. If not, stay
where you are. Twenty Anger mayin time change to gladness. Vexation may
be succeeded by content twenty one.But a kingdom that has once been destroyed

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can never come again into being,nor can the dead ever be brought back
to life twenty two. Hence,the en lightened Buller is heathful and a
good general full of caution. Thisis the way to keep a country at

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peace and an army intact. Endof Chapter twelve.