Quote:
Originally Posted by Webstral
I tend to agree that not having any of the TFO troops get sent to Oklahoma stretches credulity. Fighting men and machines will be drawn to oil like iron filings to a magnet.
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The main problem is transporting them there. TF34 as far as we know had little more than fumes in the tank upon landing on the east coast, and the engines certainly aren't in a good way after burning unrefined crude. As much as the US might have wanted more oil from the Germans, I just can't see them parting with a drop more than they absolutely had to.
So, with sea transport effectively out of the question, overland is the only way to go. There's nothing to say some troops, perhaps even a couple of thousand were sent overland to reinforce various units, the 49th AD being one of them, but without fuel and transportation infrastructure, it's slow going. Any reinforcements who don't desert along the way aren't likely to arrive until after the Howling Wilderness date of April 2001, especially given the harsh conditions travellers would face in the winter months.
In fact, we have the knowledge from Kidnapped of large numbers of people shifting westwards in 2001. Perhaps some of these make it all the way and don't die of starvation, disease, radiation sickness, marauders, or any number of other reasons.
In July 2000, we also know the 49th was still fairly strong. It could well be that at the time Omega was planned, the 49th were low on the list for reinforcement compared to other units. As has been pointed out, the 49th between July 00 and April 01 have suffered serious losses, and communicating the true state of affairs could take a long time, especially if verification was required.
IMO all the details in the books can be explained with minimal effort. There's no need to automatically throw them out just because the reasons don't jump out and slap us in the face.