THE STRATEGY OF SURPRISE

Te Ao Hou, September 1961, Page 53

THE STRATEGY OF SURPRISE The most common form of surprise attack was the ambuscade. In addition, more elaborate devices were popular. It was regarded as quite in accord with the rules of war to massacre a party of unsuspecting guests or hosts at a village gathering, or to appear close to a village in a guise of wood carriers, cultivators and fishermen, thus beguiling the enemy into false security. Any stratagem was considered fair and the unwary got what they deserved. It was an understood thing that war could at any time break out. Any tribe that felt it had suffered an injury at the hands of another tribe, no matter how long before, might suddenly decide that the time for revenge had come. In these circumstances every village had its potential enemies; justification could always be found to attack it. Even if after a raid a peace was concluded, this was not permanently binding and hostilities could always recur unless the peace was sealed with a chiefly intermarriage, linking the former enemies in close kinship. The favourite hour for attack was dawn. During the night the war party could approach unobserved and so make sure of surprising the enemy. Mist and rain were considered propitious. It was customary to kill any man who crossed the path of a war party. Scouts would be sent ahead of the main force to find out whether the enemy was expecting an attack; often, if the enemy was found prepared, the attack was postponed. The Maori pa was normally protected by sentries. While they were on duty they sang watch songs and beat wooden gongs (pahau). If these gongs suddenly became silent that was a sign of trouble. In addition people were sometimes placed on lookout posts which commanded a wide view. When they saw an enemy approaching they could give warning. However, from the published accounts one gets the impression that the Maoris were not very systematic and careful about lookout duties, nor was there any grave punishment for a sleepy sentry. If the people of a pa received intelligence of an approaching war party, they would often plan a counter-surprise by sending a detachment to sit in ambush and attack the enemy from flank or rear.