Order of the Day, September 8, 1943

Issued by Marshal Stalin and addressed to Army General Malinkovsky and Colonel-General Tolbukhin

The troops of the southern and south-western fronts, as a result of skilful manoeuvre and forceful offensive, have won a great victory in the Donets Basin over the German invaders. Having broken the enemy's resistance our troops in the course of six days captured, in fighting, the towns of Debaltsevo, Ilovaisk, Lisichansk, Yenakievo, Gorlovka, Chistyakovo, Slavyansk, Artemovsk, Kramatorskaya, Konstantinovka, Makeyevka, Krasnoarmeiskoye, Yasinovataya and the Regional Centre of the Donbas, the town of Stalino. Thus the troops of the south-western fronts have wrested from the Germans and returned to our Motherland the Donets Basin, the most important coal and industrial region of our country.

In the battle for the Donbas the troops of Lieutenant-General Svetayev, Lieutenant-General Kreiser, Lieutenant-General Lelyushenko, Lieutenant-General Zakharov, Major-General Zherybin, Major-General Makochuk, Major-General Belov, Major-General Roseyi, and airmen under the command of Lieutenant-General of Aviation Sudev, Lieutenant-General of Aviation Khryukin, distinguished themselves; and in particular, the 126th Infantry Division (Colonel Kazartsev), 127th Infantry Division (Colonel Krimov), 271st Infantry Division (Colonel Govorov), 346th Infantry Division (Major-General Stankevsky), 266th Infantry Division (Colonel Rebrikov), 279th Infantry Division (Major-General Potapenko), 259th Infantry Division (Colonel Vlassenko), 50th Guards Infantry Division (Colonel Vladichansky), 301st Infantry Division (Colonel Antonov), 230th Infantry Division (Colonel Ukrainsky), 54th Guards Infantry Division (Major-General Danilov), 297th Infantry Division (Colonel Matveyev), 61st ‘ Guards Infantry Division (Colonel Lazanovich), 59th Guards Infantry Division (Major-General Karamishev), 34th Guards Infantry Division (Colonel Brailyan), 40th Guards Infantry Division (Colonel Ponomarev), 320th Infantry Division (Major-General Shivgin), 96th Guards Infantry Division (Colonel Levin), 5th Guards Independent Motorized Infantry Brigade (Colonel Bugayev), 135th Tank Brigade (Lieutenant-Colonel Beznoschenko), 179th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (Major Savchenko), 243rd Independent Tank Regiment (Major Podlesnov). In commemoration of the victory of the troops which distinguished themselves in the liberation of the Donbas, the following formations and units will take the name of : "Stalino" – the 50th Guards Infantry Division, the 301st Infantry Division, the 230th Infantry Division. "Yenakievo" – the 34th Guards Infantry Division, the 40th Infantry Division, the 320th Infantry Division. "Ilovaisk" – the 96th Guards Infantry Division. "Chistyakovo" – the 127th Infantry Division.

"Gorlovka" – the 126th Infantry Division, the 271st Infantry Division. "Debaltsevo" – the 346th Infantry Division.

"Artemovsk" – the 266th Infantry Division, the 259th Infantry Division.

"Lisichansk" – the 279th Infantry Division.

"Konstantinovka" – the 135th Tank Brigade, the 179th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment.

"Makeyevka" – the 54th Guards Infantry Division. "Slavyansk" – the 61st Guards Infantry Division, the 279th Infantry Division. "Kramatorskaya" – the 59th Guards Infantry Division, the 5th Guards Independent Motorised Infantry Brigade and the 243rd Independent Tank Regiment.

Henceforth these formations and units shall be called: The 50th Stalino Guards Division, the 301st Stalino Infantry Division, the 230th Stalino Infantry Division; the 34th Yenakievo Guards Infantry Division, the 40th Yenakievo Guards Infantry Division, the 320th Yenakievo Infantry Division; the 96th Ilovaisk Guards Infantry Division; the 127th Chistyakovo Infantry Division; the 126th Gorlovka Infantry Division, the 271st Gorlovka Infantry Division; the 346th Debaltsevo Infantry Division; the 266th Artemovsk Infantry Division, the 259th Artemovsk Infantry Division; the 279th Lisichansk Infantry Division; the 135th Konstantinovka Tank Brigade, the 179th Konstantinovka Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment; the 54th Makeyevka Guards Infantry Division; the 61st Slavyansk Guards Infantry Division, the 297th Slavyansk Infantry Division; the 59th Kramatorskaya Guards Infantry Division, the 5th Kramatorskaya Guards Independent Motorised Infantry Brigade, the 243rd Kramatorskaya Independent Tank Regiment.

As a mark of triumph on the occasion of this great victory in the Donbas, at 20.00 hours to-day, September 8, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, in the name of the Motherland, salutes with 20 artillery salvoes from 224 guns our gallant troops who have liberated the Donbas from the German invaders.

For distinguished battle operations, I express my thanks to all the troops led by you who have participated in the liberation of the Donbas.

Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the fight for the Donbas, for the freedom and independence of our Motherland! Death to the German invaders!

Stalin

Supreme Commander-in-Chief

Marshal of the Soviet Union