January 1945

Eastern Front

Fighting in Poland intensifies as the Russians continue to attack from East Prussia to the Slovak border. Reinhardt is forced to commit his slender reserves to the battle. The 2nd Belorussian Front smashes the 2nd Army on the Narew, but at a terrible cost. As the weather clears the Soviet air armies begin to work over the German divisions. The 4th Air Army logs up hundreds of sorties as it pounds anything that moves on the German side of the line.

A little to the south the 5th Shock Army crosses the Pilica River. German counterattacks are beaten off. The 8th Guards Army strikes west toward Radom. With the front fluid the 2nd Guards Tank Army moves up through the 5th Shock Army and the 1st Guards Tank forward through the 8th Guards. The 1st Guards Tank Army pushes toward Lodz and Posen.

Around Warsaw the Soviets begin to throw a ring around the 9th Army, elements of the 47th Army attacking from the north and the 1st Polish Army from the south, from Magnuszew.

Still farther to the south the 1st Ukrainian Front advances unimpeded by the Germans, Kielce falling as the 3rd Guards and 13th Armies wipe out part of the XLII Corps. The remnants of Nehring's XXIV Panzer Corps fight bitterly north of Kielce, in operational isolation.

Soviet force in Buda take Sashegy Hill but a German counterattack regains control.

Hitler confirms the order for the Grossdeutschland Panzer Corps to redeploy the Herman Göring Panzer and Brandenburg Panzer Grenadier Divisions from East Prussia to Kielce. This move takes away from Army Group Center's only effective reserve.