Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, December 24, 1944 [No. 218]

Notes 45–46: Ibid. P. 522.

ORDER

SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

To the Commander of the Forces

3rd Ukrainian Front

Marshal of the Soviet Union Tolbukhin

To the Chief of Staff of the Front

Lieutenant-General Ivanov

Troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, having broken through the heavily fortified enemy defenses southwest of Budapest, advanced up to 40 kilometers in three days of the offensive.

During the offensive, the troops of the front captured by storm the cities of Székesfehérvár45 and Bicske46 – major communication hubs and important strongpoints of the enemy’s defense, thereby cutting off the main routes of retreat to the west for the Budapest grouping of German-Hungarian forces.

In the battles during the breakthrough of the enemy's defense and for the capture of the cities of Székesfehérvár and Bicske, the following troops distinguished themselves: those of Army General Zakharov, Lieutenant-General Shlemin, Major-General Derevyanko, Major-General Birman, Major-General Biryukov, Major-General Bobruk, Major-General Gnedin, Lieutenant-General Rubanyuk, Major-General Kolchuk, Major-General Grigorovich, Major-General Afonin, Colonel Chizhov, Colonel Drychkin, Colonel Bransburg, Colonel Parfenov, Colonel Kuks, Major-General Gorbachev, Major-General Bunyashin, Major-General Tsvetkov, Major-General Margelov, Major-General Kindyukhin, Colonel Baldynov, Colonel Burik, Colonel Dunayev, Major-General Karamyshev, Major-General Sarayev; artillerymen of Colonel-General of Artillery Nedelin, Major-General of Artillery Tsikalo, Major-General of Artillery Alekseenko, Lieutenant-General of Artillery Voznyuk, Major-General of Artillery Ratov, Major-General of Artillery Bobrovnikov, Colonel Mikhailov, Colonel Trekhnov, Colonel Slepakov, Colonel Lupakov, Colonel Borisenko, Colonel Tarasenko, Colonel Romanov, Colonel Grazhdankin, Colonel Leonov, Lieutenant-Colonel Korovin, Lieutenant-Colonel Oleinik, Lieutenant-Colonel Chepurin; tankmen of Lieutenant-General of Tank Forces Sukhoruchkin, Colonel Rumyantsev, Lieutenant-General Sviridov, Major-General Govorunenko, Colonel Ognev, Lieutenant-Colonel Gordeyev, Lieutenant-Colonel Rogachev, Lieutenant-Colonel Gayevsky; airmen of Colonel-General of Aviation Sudets, Major-General of Aviation Korsakov, Lieutenant-General of Aviation Tolstikov, Colonel Ivanov, Colonel Smirnov, Major-General of Aviation Tishchenko, Colonel Terekhov; sappers of Colonel-General of Engineer Forces Kotlyar, Major-General of Engineer Forces Ignatov, Colonel Pavlov; signalmen of Lieutenant-General of Signal Forces Korolev, Major-General of Aviation Morozov, Colonel Yegorov, Colonel Katkov.

To commemorate the victory achieved, the formations and units that most distinguished themselves in the battles during the breakthrough of the enemy's defense and for the capture of the cities of Szekesfehervar and Bicske shall be recommended for the awarding of orders.

Today, December 24, at 20 hours, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, on behalf of the Motherland, salutes the valiant troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, who broke through the enemy's defenses and captured the cities of Székesfehérvár and Bicske, with twenty artillery salvos from two hundred and twenty-four guns.

For excellent combat actions, I express gratitude to the troops under your command who participated in the battles during the breakthrough of the enemy's defense and the capture of the cities of Székesfehérvár and Bicske.

Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the battles for the freedom and independence of our Motherland!

Death to the German invaders!

Supreme Commander-in-Chief

Marshal of the Soviet Union I. STALIN

December 24, 1944 [No. 218]

NOTES

45 Liberated on December 23, 1944.

46 Liberated on December 24, 1944.