Hobby Master Archive

January 1945 saw a break in the fighting so the German 4th Panzer Army formed a defensive position in southern Poland. Unaware that the lull in fighting was to allow the Soviets to prepare to mount a massive artillery bombardment of the area held by the Germans. The bombardment was so successful that it destroyed half of the 4th Panzer Army armored forces. The Germans had no choice but to withdraw to the western side of the Oder River and try to regroup and set up another defensive front.