Its objective was to capture the Polish Corridor, thus linking mainland Germany with East Prussia.

When Hitler arrived at the headquarters of Army Group A near Charleville on the morning of May 24 and learned of the OKH's order, he immediately suspended it.

In the aftermath of the German failure in the Battle of Moscow, Fedor von Bock was relieved of his command of Army Group Center on 18 December.

[7] Between October and the first week of December, Western Front had tried four times to take Orsha and had been beaten off in furious battles by Fourth Army.

[9] The Soviet summer offensive of that year, Operation Bagration, commencing on 22 June,[9] proved disastrous for the Wehrmacht, including the 4th Army.

[10] Few units were able to escape westwards;[1] after the battles in the rest of the summer, the army required complete rebuilding.

During late 1944–45 the 4th Army, now under the command of Friedrich Hoßbach, was tasked with holding the borders of East Prussia.