第 6 节
作者:溜溜      更新:2021-02-19 00:32      字数:9321
  an advance of cavalry; if the orders for march were passed from mouth to
  mouth   rather   than   announced   by   voice   of   herald;   or   public   notice。'11'
  Accordingly; in addition to'12' this method of ordering the march by word
  passed   along   the   line;   the   appointment   of   file…   leaders   seems   desirable;
  who   again   are   to   be   supplemented   by   section…   leaders;'13'   so   that   the
  number of men to whom each petty officer has to transmit an order will be
  very few;'14' while the section…leaders will deploy and increase the front;
  whatever the formation; without confusion; whenever there is occasion for
  the movement。'15'
  '11' i。e。 〃given by general word of command; or in writing。〃 As to the
  〃word…of…mouth   command;〃   see   above;   S。   3;   〃Hell。〃
  VII。 v。 9; and                    for the 〃herald;〃 see 〃Anab。〃 III。 iv。 36。
  '12'   Reading   {pros   to   dia   p。};   or   if   {pros   to}   。   。   。   transl。   〃with   a
  view to。〃
  '13'   Lit。   pempadarchs;   i。e。   No。   6   in   the   file。   See   〃Cyrop。〃   II。   i。   22
  foll。; iii。 21。
  '14'    Lit。   〃so   that   each    officer   may     pass   the   word    to   as  few    as
  possible。〃
  '15' Cf。 〃Anab。〃 IV。 vi。 6。
  When an advanced guard is needed; I say for myself I highly approve
  of   secret   pickets   and   outposts;   if   only   because   in   supplying   a   guard   to
  19
  … Page 20…
  The Cavalry General
  protect your friends you are contriving an ambuscade to catch the enemy。
  Also the outposts will be less exposed to a secret attack; being themselves
  unseen;   and   yet   a   source   of   great   alarm   to   the   enemy;   since   the   bare
  knowledge that there are outposts somewhere; though where precisely no
  man   knows;   will   prevent   the   enemy   from   feeling   confident;   and   oblige
  him     to  mistrust     every    tenable    position。    An    exposed     outpost;     on   the
  contrary;     presents     to  the   broad    eye    of   day   its  dangers     and    also   its
  weaknesses。'16'   Besides   which;   the   holder   of   a   concealed   outpost   can
  always   place   a   few   exposed   vedettes   beyond   his   hidden   pickets;   and   so
  endeavour to decoy the enemy into an ambuscade。 Or he may play the part
  of trapper with effect by placing a second exposed outpost in rear of the
  other;   a   device   which   may   serve   to   take   in   the   unwary  foeman   quite   as
  well as that before named。
  '16' Lit。 〃makes plain its grounds of terror as of confidence。〃
  Indeed I take it to be the mark of a really prudent general never to run
  a risk of his own choosing; except where it is plain to him beforehand; that
  he will get the better of his adversary。 To play into the enemy's hands may
  more   fitly   be   described   as   treason   to   one's   fellow…combatants   than   true
  manliness。 So; too; true generalship consists in attacking where the enemy
  is   weakest;   even   if   the   point   be   some   leagues   distant。   Severity   of   toil
  weighs nothing in the scale against the danger of engaging a force superior
  to your own。'17' Still; if on any occasion the enemy advance in any way
  to place himself between fortified points that are friendly to you; let him
  be never so superior in force; your game is to attack on whichever flank
  you     can   best    conceal    your    advance;      or;  still  better;   on   both    flanks
  simultaneously; since; while one detachment is retiring after delivering its
  attack;   a   charge   pressed   home   from   the   opposite   quarter   cannot   fail   to
  throw the enemy into confusion and to give safety to your friends。
  '17' N。B。 Throughout this treatise the author has to meet the case of
  a small force of cavalry acting on the defensive。
  How      excellent    a  thing    it  is  to  endeavour     to  ascertain     an  enemy's
  position by means of spies and so forth; as in ancient story; yet best of all;
  in   my   opinion;   is   it   for   the   commander   to   try   to   seize   some   coign   of
  vantage; from which with his own eyes he may descry the movements of
  20
  … Page 21…
  The Cavalry General
  the enemy and watch for any error on his part。'18'
  '18' As; e。g。 Epaminondas at Tegea。 See 〃Hell。〃 VII。 v。 9。
  Whatever may be snatched by ruse; thief fashion;'19' your business is
  to   send   a   competent   patrol   to   seize;   or   again   where   capture   by   coup   de
  main'20'   is   practicable;   you   will   despatch   a   requisite   body   of   troops   to
  effect a coup de main。 Or take the case: the enemy is on the march in some
  direction; and a portion of his force becomes detached from his main body
  or    through     excess    of  confidence      is  caught     straggling;     do   not   let  the
  opportunity escape; but make it a rule always to pursue a weaker with a
  stronger   force。'21'   These;   indeed;   are   rules   of   procedure;   which   it   only
  requires a simple effort of the mind to appreciate。 Creatures far duller of
  wit   than   man   have   this   ability:   kites   and   falcons;   when   anything   is   left
  unguarded;   pounce   and   carry   it   off   and   retire   into   safety   without   being
  caught; or wolves; again; will hunt down any quarry left widowed of its
  guard;   or   thieve   what   they   can   in   darksome   corners。'22'   In   case   a   dog
  pursues   and   overtakes   them;   should   he   chance   to   be   weaker   the   wolf
  attacks him; or if stronger; the wolf will slaughter'23' his quarry and make
  off。   At   other   times;   if   the   pack   be   strong   enough   to   make   light   of   the
  guardians of a flock; they will marshal their battalions; as it were; some to
  drive off the guard and others to effect the capture; and so by stealth or fair
  fight they provide themselves with the necessaries of life。 I say; if dumb
  beasts are capable of conducting a raid with so much sense and skill; it is
  hard   if   any   average   man   cannot   prove   himself   equally   intelligent   with
  creatures which themselves fall victims to the craft of man。
  '19' e。g。 defiles; bridges; outposts; stores; etc。
  '20' e。g。 a line of outposts; troops in billets or bivouac; etc。
  '21' 〃It is a maxim; the quarry should be weaker than the pursuer。〃
  '22'     Zeune     cf。  Ael。   〃N。    A。〃   viii。  14;   on   the   skill   of  wolves     in
  hunting。
  '23'   For   {aposphaxas}   Courier   suggests   {apospasas};   〃dragging   off
  what          he can。〃
  21
  … Page 22…
  The Cavalry General
  V
  Here is another matter which every horseman ought to know; and that
  is within what distance a horse can overhaul a man on foot; or the interval
  necessary   to   enable   a   slower   horse   to   escape   one   more   fleet。   It   is   the
  business rather of the cavalry general to recognise at a glance the sort of
  ground on   which   infantry  will   be   superior   to   cavalry  and   where   cavalry
  will   be   superior   to   infantry。   He   should   be   a   man   of   invention;   ready   of
  device   to   turn   all   circumstances   to   account;   so   as   to   give   at   one   time   a
  small   body   of   cavalry   the   appearance   of   a   larger;   and   again   a   large   the
  likeness of a smaller body; he should have the craft to appear absent when
  close at hand; and within striking distance when a long way off; he should
  know exactly not only how to steal an enemy's position; but by a master
  stroke     of  cunning'1'     to  spirit   his  own    cavalry   away;     and;   when     least
  expected; deliver his attack。 Another excellent specimen of inventiveness
  may be seen in the general's ability; while holding a weak position himself;
  to   conjure   up   so   lively   an   apprehension   in   the   enemy   that   he   will   not
  dream of attacking; or conversely; when; being in a strong position himself;
  he   can   engender   a   fatal   boldness   in   the   adversary   to   venture   an   attack。
  Thus with   the least   cost to   yourself;  you will  best be   able to   catch   your
  enemy tripping。
  '1' Or; 〃sleight of hand〃; and for {kleptein} = escamoter see 〃Anab。〃
  IV。 vi。 11; 15; V。 vi。 9。
  But to avoid suspicion of seeming to prescribe impossible feats; I will
  set down; in so many words; the procedure in certain crucial instances。
  The best safeguard against failure in any attempt to enforce pursuit or
  conduct a