The 8th ID takes a wrong turn at Albuquerque...

[Adm.Lee]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Back onto the 8th ID navigational error - it seems that the officer responsible wasn't in a combat unit at the front, but rather a staff officer. In that light a navigational error seems a little more likely - the wrong information was supplied to the units on the ground rather than an individual officer misreading the map or compass.

Still, nobody checked his work?
Possible I suppose since they were in action and short handed....

I'd be more inclined to believe the staff officer got confused and sent someone up the wrong road, and then the Soviets started attacking from multiple directions. It doesn't even have to be the whole division sent the wrong way, but some vital element, like a notable chunk of the engineers or fuel trucks. Something that the rest of the formation would want to go rescue.

[Legbreaker]

I agree, you've only got to have something important head off in the wrong direction and get stuck for the entire unit to be derailed.
What may have happened is the logisitical tail headed up the wrong road, taking a left when they should have taken a right and in a huge hurry to catch up with the combat elements before a small enemy force caught up with them. Hell they could have been breaking contact with a plattoon or two of cavalry at the time, in a desperate hurry to pack up and get rolling before they were rolled over.

Still, I don't think that would put them more than a few dozen miles out of their way. I'm still thinking it had to be a bigger mistake, something in the Divisional movement orders themselves.

Perhaps the Staff Officer in question was in the Intel section - he advised that taking a particular road would head off an enemy unit they were chasing - "it'd only take them a hundred kilometres and bring them out a few hours in front..."
Instead it was the wrong road he was looking at on the map and it curved around, barely noticed in the poor visibility.

[HorseSoldier]

A relatively modest and plausible error could have put 8th ID(M) in a situation where their routes back west were blocked -- especially if someone flubbed an intel estimate that missed a newly arriving threat in the area.

It's all probably excessive hand waving to substantiate a flawed product, though.

[Legbreaker]

I don't see the 8th being where they are shown as a flaw. Putting it all on one officers shoulders is where the problem lies.
The problem obviously lays with the author, however chances are they were a little pressed for both time and space and so were unable to expand on their ideas (or have them properly checked before publication).

[pmulcahy11b]

Could it be the result of a confused, panicked retreat?

[Legbreaker]

There doesn't seem to be enough enemy in the area for that, and the 8th, besides being lost and out of fuel, are in good order.

[HorseSoldier]

I don't see the 8th being where they are shown as a flaw. Putting it all on one officers shoulders is where the problem lies.

Agreed. I don't have a problem with the being out in the middle of nowhere in the Baltic States, but I do think the narrative getting them there is the flawed product.

[Abbott Shaull]

That is the problem, yeah as written it is flawed. Like stated elsewhere it could be a problem and result of panicked retreat...

[Legbreaker]

A retreat forward further into enemy held lands? I don't think so.
And then there's the minimal enemy forces of note in the area....

Obviously the 8th were after something - could be resources, could be an enemy unit they had on the ropes, could be any number of things. They certainly weren't chased - you only need look at their organised state to know that.