Treatise on Armament Technology, Volume 91

Formation and Training Regulations: Training Methods II

Page 7

Generally, a ledger should be established to record the year, month, and day; the location of the night camp; and its circumference in Li — a Chinese unit of distance, roughly 500 meters. One must observe the changing lengths of days and nights throughout the four seasons and adjust the timekeeping intervals accordingly. Because the length of the night changes between summer and winter, the duration of each "watch" must be recalculated to ensure the camp remains synchronized with the sun. If the enemy is in close proximity and it is necessary to sound the night watches, the procedure differs; everything depends on flexible adaptation to the immediate circumstances.

When a camp is established for a long period, soldiers often do not get enough sleep. Many will become exhausted, their spirits will flag, and they will become lax and weak. Their Ruiqi — fighting spirit or "sharp edge" will gradually decline. It is necessary to order each squad within the perimeter to rotate: every other man shall sit for the watch while the man next to him sleeps. Divide the night into first and second halves to fix the shifts. In this way, every man can get some sleep, and their spirits will not be fatigued.

Among all soldiers and personnel, it is strictly forbidden for the strong to bully the weak. If the commanding officer fails to Yueshu — discipline or restrain his subordinates in this matter, he shall be considered equally guilty.