Order of the Day, August 5, 1943

Issued by J.V. Stalin, Supreme Commander-in-Chief, and addressed to Colonel-General Popov, Colonel-General Sokolovsky, Army-General Rokossovsky, Army-General Vatutin and Colonel-General Koniev

To-day, August 5, the troops on the Bryansk front, with the support on their flanks of the troops of the Western and Central fronts, as a result of violent engagements captured the town of Orel.

To-day also the troops of the Steppe and Voronezh fronts broke the resistance of the enemy and captured the town of Byelgorod.

One month ago, on July 5, the Germans began their summer offensive from the areas of Orel and Byelgorod in order to surround and wipe out our troops in the Kursk salient and to occupy Kursk. Repulsing all attempts of the enemy to break through to Kursk from the direction of Orel and Byelgorod, our troops themselves went over to the offensive and on August 5, exactly one month after the beginning of the July offensive of the Germans, re-occupied Orel and Byelgorod.

Thus the German myth that the Soviet troops are allegedly incapable of waging a successful offensive in the summer has now been dispelled.

To commemorate the victories won, the 5th, 129th and 380th Infantry Divisions, which were the first to break into the town of Orel and liberate it, will be named Orel Divisions, and henceforth they will be named the 5th Orel Infantry Division, the 129th Orel Infantry Division, the 380th Orel Infantry Division.

The 89th Guards and 305th Infantry Divisions, which were the first to break into the town of Byelgorod and to liberate it, will be named Byelgorod Divisions and will henceforth be named the 89th Guards Byelgorod Infantry Division and the 305th Byelgorod Infantry Division. Today, August 5, at 24.00 hours (Moscow time), the capital of our country, Moscow, will salute our valiant troops who liberated Orel and Byelgorod with 12 salvoes from 120 guns.

For excellent offensive operations I express my thanks to all the troops commanded by you who took part in the operations to liberate Orel and Byelgorod.

Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the fight for the freedom of our Motherland!

Death to the German invaders!

(Signed) J. Stalin

Supreme Commander-in-Chief

Marshal of the Soviet Union