Order of the Day, September 25, 1943

Issued by Marshal Stalin and addressed to Army General Sokolovsky Our troops of the western front continuing their successful, offensive, forced the River Dnieper, and to-day, September 25, after violent engagements, took by storm the large Regional centre, the town of Smolensk, the most important strategic centre of German defences in the western direction

To-day also our troops of the western front, after, two days' fierce battles, broke enemy resistance and captured the operationally important junction of communications and powerful strong point of German defence in the Mogilev direction – the town of Roslavl.

In the fighting to liberate the towns of Smolensk and Roslavl the troops under Lieutenant-General Gluzdovsky, Lieutenant-General Krylov, Lieutenant-General Polenov, Colonel-General Gordov, Lieutenant-General Sukhomlin, Lieutenant-General Zhuravlev, Lieutenant-General Popov, Lieutenant-General Gryshin, airmen under Lieutenant-General of Aviation Gromov and Marshal of Aviation Golovanov distinguished themselves.

The 331st Red Banner (Colonel Berestov), 215th Infantry Division (Major-General Kovlev), 133rd Infantry Division (Colonel Kasishvily), 222nd Infantry Division (Major-General Gryzlov), 312th Infantry Division (Lieutenant-Colonel Moiseyevsky) , 199th Infantry Division (Colonel Kononenko), 56th Guards Infantry Division (Colonel Kolabutin), 42nd Infantry Division (Major-General Multan), 153rd Infantry Division (Colonel Krasnov), 32nd Cavalry Division, 4th Guards Artillery Division (Major-General of Artillery Kozhukov), 2nd Assault Aviation Corps (Major-General of Aviation Step-ichev), 3rd Guards Bomber Aviation Division (Colonel Andreyev), 303rd Aviation Fighter Division (Major-General of Aviation Zakharov), 309th Fighter Aviation Division, 367th Independent Artillery Battalion (Major Savenkov), 392nd Krasnoyarsk Corps Artillery Regiment (Colonel Sergeyev), 644th Artillery Regiment (Colonel . Krivoshapov), 873rd Anti-tank Artillery Regiment, 549th Mortar Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Sotskov), 317th Guards Mortar Regiment, 201st Independent Guards Mortar Division (Major Bagareyev),35th Independent Guards Mortar Division (Major Bogorodsky), 49th A.A. Artillery Division (Colonel Kaminsky), 341st A.A. Artillery Regiment, the 1,478th A.A. Artillery Regiment (Colonel Semyonov),42nd Guards Tank Brigade (Colonel Kotov), 153rd Tank Brigade (Colonel Krutiy), 4th Guards Tank Brigade (Colonel

Savchenko), 1st Young Communist Assault Engineering Brigade (Colonel Petrov), 1st Guards Anti-tank Artillery Brigade (Colonel Basov), 247th Infantry Division (Majorgeneral Mukhin), 139th Infantry Division (Colonel Kirillov), 326th Infantry Division (Colonel Gusev), 49th Infantry Division (Major-General Chizhov), 277th Infantry Division (Major-General Glady-shev), 344th Infantry Division (Colonel Strak-hov), 231st Assault Aviation Division (Coloneln Chizhikov), 564th Artillery Regiment (Colonel Gusev), 447th Red Banner Artillery Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Chvykov), 542nd Mortar Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Radchenko), 992nd Anti-tank Artillery Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Rupkov), 345th Engineering Battalion (Major Gusev), 303rd Engineering Battalion (Captain. Petukhov), 1,268th A.A. Artillery Regiment (Major Sazanov), 54th Guards Mortar Regiment (Major Lavrinovich), 2nd Independent Guards Mortar Division (Major Yeremin), 306th Long-Distance Aviation Division (Major-General of Aviation Dryanin), 2nd Guards Long-Distance Aviation Regiment (Colonel Balashov),3rd Guards Long-Distance Aviation Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Glazkov), 14th Guards Long-Distance Aviation Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Zenkov), 455th Long-Distance Aviation Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Chebetyev), 13th Guards Long-Distance

Aviation

Regiment

(Lieutenant-Colonel

Dmitriev), 17th Guards Long-Distance Aviation Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Matrosov), and 19th Guards Long-Distance Aviation Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Shaposhnikov) particularly distinguished themselves. To commemorate the victory achieved, the formations and units which distinguished themselves in the fighting for the liberation of the towns of Smolensk and Roslavl are to bear the names of Smolensk and Roslavl.

Henceforth these formations and units will be named: The 331st Red Banner Smolensk Infantry Division, the 215th Smolensk Infantry Division, the 133rd Smolensk Infantry Division, the 222nd Smolensk Infantry Division, the 312th Smolensk Infantry Division, the 199th Smolensk Infantry Division, the 56th Guards Smolensk Infantry Division, the 153rd Smolensk Infantry Division, the 32nd Smolensk Cavalry division, the 4th Guards Smolensk Artillery .Division, the 2nd Smolensk Assault Aviation Corps, the 3rd Guards Smolensk Bomber Aviation Division, the 303rd Smolensk Fighter Aviation Division, 309th

Smolensk Fighter Aviation Division, the 367th Smolensk Independent Artillery Battalion, 392nd Krasnoyarsk Smolensk Corps Artillery Regiment, 644th Smolensk Artillery Regiment, 873rd Smolensk Anti-tank Artillery Regiment, 549th Smolensk Mortar Regiment, 317th Guards Smolensk Mortar Regiment, 201st Smolensk Independent Guards Mortar Division, 35th Smolensk Independent Guards Mortar Division, 49th Smolensk A.A. Artillery Division, 341st Smolensk A.A. Artillery Regiment, 1,478th Smolensk A.A. Artillery Regiment 42nd Guards- Smolensk Tank Brigade, 153rd Smolensk Tank Brigade, 4th Guards Smolensk Tank Brigade, 1st Guards Smolensk Anti-tank Artillery Brigade, 306th Smolensk Long-Distance Aviation Division, 2nd Guards Smolensk Long-Distance Aviation Regiment, 3rd Guards Smolensk Long-Distance Aviation Regiment, 14th Guards Smolensk Long-Distance Aviation Regiment, 455th Smolensk Long-Distance Aviation Regiment; 247th Roslavl Infantry Division, 139th Roslavl Infantry Division, 326th Roslavl Infantry Division, 49th Roslavl Infantry Division, 277th Roslavl Infantry Division, 344th Roslavl Infantry Division, 231st Roslavl Assault Aviation Division, 564th Roslavl Artillery Regiment, 447th Red Banner Roslavl Artillery Regiment, 306th Roslavl Engineering Battalion, 1,268th Roslavl A.A Artillery Regiment, 54th Guards Roslavl Mortar Regiment, 2nd Roslavl Independent Guards Mortar Division, 13th Guards Roslavl Long-Distance Aviation Regiment, 17th Guards Roslavl Long-Distance Aviation Regiment, 19th Guards Roslavl Long-Distance Aviation Regiment, 542nd Roslavl Mortar Regiment, 992nd Roslavl Anti-tank Artillery Regiment, 345th Roslavl Engineering Battalion, 303rd Roslavl Engineering Battalion, the First Smolensk Young Communist Engineering Assault Brigade.

To-day, September 25, at 21.00 hours Moscow time, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, in the name of the Motherland, will salute with 20 artillery salvoes from 224 guns our gallant troops which liberated the towns of Smolensk and Roslavl.

For excellent military operations I express my thanks to all troops commanded by you which took part in the fighting for Smolensk and Roslavl.

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

J. V. Stalin

Supreme Commander-in-Chief

Marshal of the Soviet Union