Captured plans can reveal equipment and dispositions without guaranteeing victory over the force they describe. A competent defensive commander can use the intervening time to fortify a position and create problems that were absent from the stolen plan. Even partly trained troops can gain confidence and combat value when protected by trenches, supplied in place, and supported by artillery. Dispersing them in mobile penny packets removes those advantages and exposes their weak training. The broader lesson is that mobile warfare demands much more practiced troops than a prepared static defense.
Notable Point · 41:24-43:27
Captured plans do not defeat prepared defenses
Knowing an opponent's deployments cannot replace command judgment when defenders use time, terrain, and fortification well.