On the 31st of January 1945 the tankers of the 1st Byelorussian Front reached the Oder river near Kostrin and Frankfurt. Berlin, the fascist beast’s lair, was in some 100 km aside. But the Soviet Command took the decision to suspend the attack on the German capital. The units needed resupply and replacement of troops, as well as time to move up the reserves. It was not until Pomerania and Silesia had been cleared of German troops that the Red Army continued its offensive.
