Cavalry in Battle-Six Teachings

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Cavalry in Battle (Tai Gong Six Teachings-Hound Teaching Chapter 9)

本篇论述骑兵作战的“十胜”和“九败”。

English

King Wu asked Tai Gong:"How should we employ the cavalry in battle?"

Tai Gong responded:"For the cavalry, there are ten situations that can produce victory and nine that will result in defeat."

King Wu asked:"What are the ten situations that can produce victory?"

Tai Gong replied:"When the enemy first arrives and their lines and deployment are not yet settled, the front and rear not yet united, then strike into their forward cavalry, attack the left and right flanks. The enemy will certainly flee.

When the enemy’s lines and deployment are well-ordered and solid, while their officers and troops want to fight, our cavalry should outflank them but not go far off. Some should race away, some race forward. Their speed should be like the wind, their explosiveness like thunder, so that the daylight becomes as murky as dusk. Change our flags and pennants several times; also change our uniforms. Then their army can be conquered.

When the enemy’s lines and deployment are not solid, while their officers and troops will not fight, press upon them both front and rear, make sudden thrusts on their left and right. Outflank and strike them, and the enemy will certainly be afraid.

When, at sunset, the enemy wants to return to camp and their army are terrified, if we can outflank them on both sides, urgently strike their rear, pressing them to the entrance of their fortifications, not allowing them to go in. The enemy will certainly be defeated.

When the enemy, lacking the advantages of ravines and defiles for securing their defenses, penetrate deeply into their territory and sever their supply lines, they will certainly be hungry.

When the land is level and easy and we see enemy cavalry approaching from all four sides, if we have our chariots and cavalry strike into them, they will certainly become disordered.

When the enemy runs off in flight, their officers and troops scattered and in chaos, if some of our cavalry outflank them both on sides while others obstruct them to the front and rear, their general can be captured.

When at dusk the enemy is turning back while his soldiers are extremely numerous, his lines and deployment will certainly become disordered. We should have our cavalry form platoons of ten and regiments of hundred, group the chariots into squads of five and companies of ten, and set out a great many flags and pennants intermixed with strong crossbowmen. Some should strike their two flanks, others cut off the front and rear, and then the enemy’s general can be taken prisoner. These are the ten situations in which the cavalry can be victorious."

King Wu asked:"What about the nine situations which produce defeat?"

Tai Gong said:"Whenever the cavalry penetrates the ranks of the enemy but does not destroy their formation so that the enemy feigns flight, only to turn their chariots and cavalry about to strike our rear - this is a situation in which the cavalry will be defeated.

When we pursue a fleeing enemy into confined ground, ranging far into their territory without stopping, until they ambush both our flanks and sever our rear - this is a situation in which the cavalry will be encircled.

When we go forward but there is no road back, we enter but there is no way out, this is referred to as ‘Heaven Trap’, ‘Earthly Cave’. This is fatal terrain for the cavalry.

When the way by which we enter is constricted but the way out is distant; their weak forces can attack our strong ones; and their few can attack our many - this is terrain on which the cavalry will be exterminated.

When there are great mountain torrents, deep valleys, tall luxuriant grass, forests and trees - these are conditions which will exhaust the cavalry.

When there is water on the left and right, while ahead are large hills, and to the rear high mountains, and the army are fighting between the bodies of water while the enemy occupies both the interior and exterior ground - this is terrain that means great difficulty for the cavalry.

When the enemy has cut off our supply lines, and if we advance, we will not have any route by which to return - this is troublesome terrain for the cavalry.

When we are sinking into marshy ground while advancing and retreating must both be through quagmires - this is a terrain that will labor the cavalry.

When on the left, there are deep water sluices, and on the right, there are gullies and hillocks, but the ground appears level - good terrain for advancing, retreating, and enticing an enemy - this terrain is a pitfall for the cavalry.

These nine comprise fatal terrain for cavalry, the means by which the enlightened general will keep the enemy far off and escape and the ignorant general will be entrapped and defeated."

Modern

武王问太公说：骑兵怎样作战?

太公说：骑兵作战有“十胜”和“九败”。

武王问：十胜怎样？

太公说：敌人初到，行阵未定，前后不相联系，我骑兵应立即击破其先头骑兵部队，夹击其两翼，敌必溃逃；敌人阵势，整齐坚固，士卒战斗情绪很高，我骑兵部队 应缠住敌人两翼不放，有时奔驰过去，有时奔驰回来，快速如风，猛烈如雷，使尘土飞扬迷漫，白昼如同黄昏，不断更换旗帜，改变服装，[使敌人疑虑重重，]敌 军就可以被打败；敌人行阵不稳固，士卒没有斗志，就迫近敌人前方和后方，袭击其左右从两翼夹击它，敌人必会震恐；敌人日暮回营三军震骇．我骑兵应夹击其两 翼，急速袭击其后尾，迫近其营垒入口，阻止其进入营垒，敌人在慌从中必会溃败；敌人没有险阻地形可以固守，我骑兵应长驱立入，切断其粮道，敌人必会陷于饥 饿；敌处于平坦地形，四面受到威胁，我骑兵协同战车四面围攻它，敌人必会溃乱；敌人败逃，士卒散乱，我骑兵或由其两翼夹击，或袭击其前后，敌将帅也就可以 被擒；敌人日暮退回营垒，部队很多，队形一定混乱，就令我骑兵十人为一队，百人为一屯，战车五辆为一聚，十辆为一群，多插旗帜，配以强弩或者打击其两翼， 或者断绝其前后，敌将帅也可以被俘获。这就是骑兵作战的十种取胜的战机。

武王问：“九败”是什么?

太公说：用骑兵攻击敌人，如果不能突破敌阵，敌人假装跑，而以战车和骑兵攻我后方，这就使我骑兵处于失败的境地了；击败退之敌，越过险阻，长驱深入而不好 止，敌人埋伏在我两旁，绝我后路，这就使我骑兵处于被围的境地了；“前进后，无法退回，进后，无法出来，这叫陷入“天井”之内，困于“地穴”之中，这就使 骑兵处于灭亡的境地了；进路狭窄，出路迂远，敌可以弱击强，以少击众，这就使我骑兵处于覆灭的境地了；大涧深谷，林木茂盛，活动困难，这会使我骑兵处于精 疲力竭的境地；左右有水，前有大山，后有高岭，我三、军在两水之间作战，敌人内守山险，外据水要，这就使我骑兵处于艰难的境地；敌人断我粮道，我只有进路 而没有退路，这就使我骑兵陷于困难的境地；沼泽地、低湿泥泞地，这是使骑兵疲劳的患地；左有深沟，右有坑凹，一高一低，看起来就象平地，无论进退都会招致 敌人来攻，这就是骑兵作战的陷地。这九种都是骑兵的“死地”。这是明智的将帅所竭力避开的地方，昏庸的将冲所以陷于失败的原因。

Original

武王问太公曰：战骑奈何?

太公曰：骑有“十胜”“九败”。

武王曰：十胜奈何?

太公曰：敌人始至，行阵未定，前后不属，陷其前骑，击其左右，敌人必走；敌人行阵，整齐坚固，士卒欲斗，吾骑翼而勿去，或驰而往，或驰而来，其疾如风，其 暴如雷，白昼如昏，数更旌旗，变易衣服，其军可克；敌人行阵不旧，士卒不斗，薄其前后，猎其左右，翼而击之，敌人必惧；敌人暮欲归舍，三军恐骇，翼其两旁，疾击其后，簿其垒口，无使得入，敌人必败；敌人无险阻保固，深人长驱，绝其粮路，敌人必饥；地平而易，四面见敌，车骑陷之，敌人必乱；敌人奔走，士卒 散乱，或翼其两旁，或插其前后，其将可擒；敌人暮返，其兵甚众，其行阵必乱，今我骑十而为队，百而为屯，车五而为聚，十而为群，多设旌旗，杂以强弩，或击 其两旁，或绝其前后，敌将可虏。此骑之“十胜”也。

武王曰：“九败”奈何?

太公曰：凡以骑陷敌，而不能破阵，敌人佯走，以车骑反击我后，此骑之败地也；追北踰险，长驱不止，敌人伏两旁，又绝我后，此骑之围地也；往而无以返，入而 无以出，是谓陷于“天井”，顿于“地穴”，此骑之死地。所从入者隘，所从出者远，彼弱可以击我强，彼寡可以击众，此骑之没地也；大涧深谷，蓊秽林木，此骑之竭地也；左右有水，前有大阜，后有高山，三军战于两水之间，敌居表里，此骑之艰地也；敌人绝我粮道，往而无以返，此骑之困地也；汗下沮泽，进退渐洳，此骑 之患地也；左有深沟，右有坑阜，高下如平地，进退诱敌，此骑之陷地也。此九者，骑之死地也。明将之所以远避，闇将之所以陷败也。

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