Quote:
Originally Posted by helbent4
Part of the retcon could be that XI Corps feared there were PacWar forces in between them and Bremerhaven. Given the state of intelligence gathering, it's possible that they mistook the position of real PacWar forces or the blocking force is completely imaginary.
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Intel gathering in 2000 is definitely not what it was in early '97, but XI Corps should have enough recon assets (LRS companies, ad-hoc LRRP units, and elements of the 116th ACR) to determine that significant enemy forces aren't blocking the route west.
Granted, precedent does exist for massive intel failures in the Twilight War (i.e. the "misplaced" Pact Corps that destroys 5th ID), but that's a slightly different situation. The 5th was plunging deep behind enemy lines and at least a couple of the units that smashed it were thought to be in the Ukraine or thereabouts. In the case of XI Corps, were talking about much shorter distances and an area essentially behind friendly lines. The XI Corps commander would have to be paralyzed by fear in order not to do anything to at least determine ground truth in the AO before making such a far reaching decision (i.e. to stay put in NW Poland indefinitely).