Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief
24 June 1944
[No. 116]

ORDER

OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

To Colonel-General Chernyakhovsky

Troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front, supported by massed strikes of artillery and aircraft, broke through the heavily fortified and deeply echeloned defences of the German Vitebsk fortified area south of the city of Vitebsk, on a sector 30 kilometres long, in two days of offensive fighting advanced to a depth of up to 25 kilometres, and widened the breakthrough to 80 kilometres along the front, liberating more than 300 populated places.

Simultaneously in the Orsha direction, the front's troops broke through the strong, deeply echeloned enemy defences north of the River Dnieper, on a front 20 kilometres long, and advanced up to 15 kilometres.

In the fighting to break through the German defences, distinction was won by troops of Lieutenant-General Krylov, Lieutenant-General Lyudnikov, Lieutenant-General Galitsky, Lieutenant-General Glagolev, Major-General Perekrestov, Major-General Bezugly, Major-General Kazartsev, Major-General Poplavsky, Major-General Vorobyev, Colonel Klets, Lieutenant-General Koshevoi, Major-General Provalov, Major-General Kvashnin, Major-General Alexeyenko, Major-General Kalinin, Major-General Gladyshev, Major-General Laskin, Colonel Bibikov, Colonel Kozhanov; artillerymen of Lieutenant-General of Artillery Barsukov, Lieutenant-General of Artillery Nilovsky, Major-General of Artillery Deresh, Major-General of Artillery Fedorov, Major-General of Artillery Rozhanovich, Major-General of Artillery Kozhukhov, Lieutenant-General of Artillery Semenov, Major-General of Artillery Semin, Colonel Kovalenko, Colonel Lukyanov; tankmen of Lieutenant-General of Tank Troops Rodin, Major-General of Tank Troops Malakhov, Colonel Semenyuk, Colonel Kovalev, Colonel Dukhovny; airmen of Colonel-General of Aviation Khryukin, Lieutenant-General of Aviation Ushakov, Major-General of Aviation Gorlachenko, Colonel Prutkov, Colonel Zimin; sappers of Lieutenant-General of Engineering Troops Baranov, Major-General of Engineering Troops Gnedovsky, Colonel Lukashenko, Colonel Soldatenkov, Colonel Novikov, and signallers of Major-General of Signal Troops Burov, Colonel Prikhoday.

To commemorate the victory, the formations and units which distinguished themselves most in the fighting shall be recommended for conferment of the title "Vitebsk" and for award of orders.

Today, 24 June, at 24 hours, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, on behalf of the Motherland, salutes the valiant troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front that broke through the German defences with twenty artillery salvoes from two hundred and twenty-four guns.

For excellent combat operations I express my thanks to the troops under your command who participated in the fighting to break through the enemy's defences.

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

Death to the German invaders!

Supreme Commander-in-Chief

Marshal of the Soviet Union I. STALIN

24 June 1944 [No. 116]