The 'Neukuren-Linie' was a German initial fallback line for Generaloberst Walter Model’s 9^th Army and part of Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrici’s 4^th Army of Generalfeldmarschall Günther von Kluge’s Heeresgruppe 'Mitte' as they disengaged from the Soviet forces in the area of Rzhev and began their retreat to the 'Büffel-Stellung' (11/12 March 1943).