Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief
August 29, 1944
[No. 181]

ORDER

OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

To Army General Tolbukhin

To Admiral Oktyabrsky

The troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, as a result of a swift offensive by motorised and armoured formations in co-ordination with the ships and landing detachments of the Black Sea Fleet, today, August 29, captured the town and most important port on the Black Sea — Constanța, which for three years had served as the main base of the naval forces of the German-fascist invaders.

The following distinguished themselves in the capture of the town and port of Constanța: the troops of Lieutenant General Gagen, Major General Kosobutsky, Lieutenant Colonel Zavyalov, Major Shevkin, Colonel Kuznetsov, Major General Lisitsyn, Colonel Belinsky, Colonel Vlasov, Colonel Smirnov; the tankmen of Lieutenant General of Armoured Forces Sukhoruchkin, Colonel Shevchenko; the artillerymen of Major General of Artillery Breydo, Colonel Batlyayev; the sailors of Captain 1st Rank Chursin, Captain 1st Rank Solovyev, Captain 1st Rank Derevyanko, Captain 1st Rank Sverdlov, Captain 2nd Rank Dyachenko, Captain 2nd Rank Protsenko, Captain 2nd Rank Davydov, Captain 3rd Rank Gnatenko, Major Kotanov, Captain Makarov; the airmen of Colonel General of Aviation Sudets, Lieutenant General of Aviation Yermachenkov, Colonel Korzunov, Lieutenant Colonel Rozhdestvensky, Lieutenant Colonel Avdeyev, Colonel Kanareyev, Major Kruchenykh; the sappers of Colonel General of Engineering Troops Kotlyar, Colonel Ivanov; the signallers of Lieutenant General of Signal Troops Korolev, Colonel Staroletov.

In commemoration of the success achieved, the troop formations, ships, and fleet units which most distinguished themselves in the capture of the town and port of Constanța are to be recommended for conferment of the designation "Constanța" and for award of orders.

Today, August 29, at 24:00 hours, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, in the name of the Motherland salutes the valiant troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front and the ships and units of the Black Sea Fleet which captured the town and port of Constanța with twenty artillery salvoes from two hundred and twenty-four guns.

For excellent military operations I express my gratitude to all the troops, ships, and units under your command who took part in the capture of Constanța.

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

Death to the German invaders!

Supreme Commander-in-Chief

Marshal of the Soviet Union I. STALIN

August 29, 1944 [No. 181]