[Raellus]

Perhaps we should break it down. There are a lot of issues/factors at play here, and things are starting to get muddled.

Going Home states that "The XI Corps was cut off from higher headquarters after the Pact counteroffensive of July, and has remained in its positions out of necessity rather than by choice. It has been written off by USAEUR. The XI US Corps HQ staff is currently wintering in Kolobrzeg, Poland, along with the remnants of the 50th US AD. At of the beginning of the adventure, word of the evacuation has just arrived. Most of the Corps' personnel will decide to remain in place rather than risk the journey to Bremerhaven." (Going Home, p. 14)


1.) "The XI Corps was cut off from higher headquarters after the Pact counteroffensive of July..."

This is the smoking gun, as far as I'm concerned, suggesting a fairly serious continuity error on the part of the writers. No such forces are identified or mentioned in any of the canonical sources as being in the region in either July, autumn or winter of 2000. If a RetCon is required, this is what needs to be addressed. A powerful Soviet/Pact Corps or Army needs to be created and placed in NW Poland, either between XI Corps and the German border, or in the immediate vicinity.

2.) "...and [XI Corps] has remained in its positions out of necessity rather than by choice."

Once again, this suggests that the above-mentioned hypothetical enemy forces are still in the area between XI Corps and the German border and pose a clear and present danger to a large-scale evacuation/general withdrawal.

3.) "[XI Corps] has been written off by USAEUR."

If it's unable to move because of points 1 & 2, then this makes perfect sense and needs no further explanation. If no such enemy units exist, then perhaps USAEUR decided to sacrifice XI Corps to protect the evac site from a possible Dunkirk scenario.

Rainbow has theorized that XI Corps will be evacuated later, by way of the UK, after assisting in stabilizing that island nation. This is an interesting theory, but one belied by the "written off" bit. I still think that this alternative theory provides an intriguing segue for American PC groups wishing to play a campaign in the UK.

I've posited an alternative, political explanation, where the XI Corps command is suspected of throwing in its lot with CivGov, and is therefore deliberately left behind to strengthen MilGov's hand in CONUS upon the return of the OMEGA sealifts. Perhaps SACEUR feeds XI Corps bogus intel suggesting a possible PACT attack to keep them in place.

4.) "At of the beginning of the adventure, word of the evacuation has just arrived. Most of the Corps' personnel will decide to remain in place rather than risk the journey to Bremerhaven."

"[R]isk the journey..." supports the RetCon placing strong Pact units between XI Corps and the German border in the Autumn of 2000.

Also, its possible that the command element and soldiers of XI Corps are personally invested in the area and have made a conscious decision to "remain in place".