▁north ▁of ▁the ▁sal ient ▁created ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Bel or uss ian ▁Front ▁were ▁re ass igned ▁along ▁with ▁L VI ▁Pan zer ▁Corps ▁to ▁Army ▁Det achment ▁Ste iner ▁which ▁was ▁task ed ▁with ▁counter - att ack ing ▁and ▁pin ch ing ▁off ▁the ▁sal ient ▁in ▁a ▁poor ly ▁conce ived , ▁un real istic ▁plan ▁by ▁OK W . ▁In ▁the ▁end ▁We id ling ' s ▁corps ▁was ▁driven ▁back ▁into ▁Berlin ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁Berlin ▁Def ensive ▁Area , ▁reporting ▁directly ▁to ▁Hitler . ▁The odor ▁Bus se ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁Army ▁were ▁driven ▁into ▁a ▁pocket ▁in ▁the ▁Sp ree ▁Forest ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁Se el ow ▁He ights ▁and ▁west ▁of ▁Frankfurt ▁an ▁der ▁O der . ▁ ▁From ▁inside ▁the ▁pocket ▁west ▁of ▁Frankfurt ▁Bus se ▁attempted ▁a ▁break out ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁to ▁join ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁Army . ▁The ▁break out , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Hal be , ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁the ▁N inth ▁Army ▁as ▁a ▁coh er ent ▁force . ▁Tro ops ▁that ▁were ▁not ▁captured ▁or ▁killed ▁by ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁crossed ▁the ▁El be ▁at ▁Tang erm ünd e ▁and ▁surrender ed ▁to ▁the ▁US ▁Army . ▁ ▁Command ers ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁▁ 9 th ▁Army ▁( G erman ▁Empire ) ▁for ▁the ▁equivalent ▁formation ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁ ▁Army ▁Group ▁Centre ▁ ▁Order