Order of the Day, July 2, 1944

Order of the Day, addressed to Army-General Chernyakhovsky, announces that troops of the Third Byelorussian Front, as a result, of a vigorous offensive by tank formations and infantry north-west of Minsk, have captured Vileika, a regional centre of Byelorussia, and the important railway station and town of Krasnoye. Thus our troops have cut the Germans’ communication lines from Minsk to Vilno and Lida. Simultaneously, south-west of Minsk, troops of the First Byelorussian Front, after a vigorous blow launched by cavalry, tank formations and infantry, captured the towns and important communication centres of Stolbtsy, Gorodeya and Nesvizh, so cutting the German communication lines from Minsk to Brest and Jjtlninets. The Order mentions 24 commanders of tankmen, cavalrymen, troops, artillerymen and airmen whose units and formations have distinguished themselves. A salute of 20 salvoes was fired by 224 Moscow guns.