The Red Army started the Vistula–Oder Offensive on 12 January 1945. The attack began with an intense bombardment by the guns of the 1st Ukrainian Front against elements of Army Group A, initially under the command of "Generaloberst" Josef Harpe. Within a matter of days the Soviet forces involved had advanced hundreds of kilometres, taking much of Poland and striking deep within the borders of the Reich. The offensive broke Army Group A, and much of Germany's remaining capacity for military resistance. The Soviet forces crossed the Silesian border on 19 January and Harpe was relieved of his command and replaced by "Generaloberst" Ferdinand Schörner on 20 January. Schörner established his headquarters at Oppeln. Here Strachwitz, on crutches, went to see Schörner, requesting a front command to defend his homeland. Schörner declined the offer and Strachwitz insisted on another assignment. Bending to the request, Schörner initially kept him in his staff where Strachwitz conceived the plan of creating a specialized "Panzerjagdbrigade" (tank-hunting brigade). The 3rd Guards Tank Army conquered Groß Strehlitz on 23 January 1945. The following day Groß Stein fell into the hands of the advancing Red Army and Strachwitz's palace and entire estate were confiscated. Schörner yielded to the demands of Strachwitz, and authorized the creation of the "Panzerjägerbrigade". These brigades were not mechanized units but rather infantry soldiers deploying hand-held weapons such as the Panzerfaust. On 30 January 1945, he was promoted to "Generalleutnant" of the Reserves and organized his staff of the Panzerjäger-Brigade "Oberschlesien" at Bad Kudova—present-day Kudowa-Zdrój in Kłodzko Land.