Withdrawing from combat...

Does anyone know how to force your troops to withdraw to the nearest possible escape route when withdrawing from combat?

I'm playing as the Turks right now and I use a lot of hit-and-run tactics with all-HA type armies to decimate enemies before withdrawing. The problem is that occasionally my troops decide to withdraw THROUGH the enemy forces even though they are right at the edge of the map - ie they go through the enemy lines to withdraw to the FAR end of the map. Needless to say this results in many unnecessary casualties.

I've tried to correct them by manually controlling them and making them go even closer to the near edge of the map, but they won't withdraw through it - it's like they have a pre-programmed withdraw point that they go to. As a result I have to manually make them go around the enemy so that they can withdraw to this withdraw point. Does anyone know if this can be fixed?

It seems to me that units tend to withdraw to the side from they they came to the battlefield. At least that's what worked when I used hit&run against Mongols. Also it's better to not withdraw all your units simultaniously — leave some on the battlefield to cover the retreat and divert the enemy.

memnoch i noticed the VERY same thing today. while assaulting a Venice with HUGE city walls and ballista towers (with just a catapult) I decided disgression was the better part of valour, and tried to withdraw. ie my units attacked from the west, where i deployed them, where they had to come from to attack Venice anyway, as there is only one approach on the campaign map.
When i clicked the withdraw button my entire army charged straight towards the city, and had i not shrieked in panic and furiously pounded halt, they would have run to the city, up, around the walls to northwest tower, and then proceeded to flee north. (i know this because i allowed the catapult crew to try withdrawing)
like so
^
|
----->
^ O-------------------------------O
| | .|
| | Venice and its HUGE walls |
-------> { |


On another battle, a with a river and bridge in the middle, i had a unit of knights from a reinforcing army withdraw successfully and in the correct direction (ie where they had entered the battlefield from) but other units from the same reinforcing army tried to withdraw THROUGH the enemy. The knights then re-entered the battlefield and "routed" to the river and back off the map, repeatedly, for the duration of the battle.

This is extremely frustrating and I would like an explanation as well.

thanks to memnoch for posting about this.

Same issues here - siege battles in particular are very bad in this respect.