Starting on 12 January 1945, the Red Army began the Vistula–Oder Offensive across the Narew River; and, from Warsaw, a three-day operation on a broad front, which incorporated four army Fronts.[16] On the fourth day, the Red Army broke out and started moving west, up to 30 to 40 km (19 to 25 mi) per day, taking East Prussia, Danzig, and Poznań, drawing up on a line 60 km (37 mi) east of Berlin along the Oder River.[17] The newly created Army Group Vistula, under the command of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler,[18] attempted a counter-attack, but this had failed by 24 February.[19] The Red Army then drove on to Pomerania, clearing the right bank of the Oder River, thereby reaching into Silesia.[17] In the south the Siege of Budapest raged. Three German attempts to relieve the encircled Hungarian capital city failed, and Budapest fell to the Soviets on 13 February.[20] Adolf Hitler insisted on a counter-attack to recapture the Drau-Danube triangle.[21] The goal was to secure the oil re...