Order of the Day, September 19, 1943

Issued by Marshal Stalin and addressed to Army General Yeremenko and Army General Sokolovsky Our troops on the Kalinin front, as a result of four days' fierce fighting, broke through strongly fortified enemy defence lines, shattered his strongpoints Ribshevo, Verdino, Lomono-sovo, Kulagino and Pankratovo, which he had held over a long period of time, and took by storm the vital strongpoint of the German defences on the way to Smolensk, the town of Dukhovshchina.

Our troops of the Western front, after stubborn battles, broke the enemy's resistance and captured the important strongpoint of the German defences at the approaches to Smolensk, the town and railway station of Yartsevo. Thus the strongly fortified German defence line which has been in existence over a long period of time and which closed the so-called Smolensk gates, has been broken. In fighting for the liberation of the towns of Dukhovshchina and Yartsevo the troops commanded by Lieutenant-General Berzarin, Lieutenant-General Gluzdovsky and Lieutenant-General Golubev, tankmen under Colonel Dromov and airmen under Lieutenant-General of Aviation Gromov and Major-General of Aviation Popivin, distinguished themselves. The following divisions, brigades and battalions, to mark the victories achieved, will henceforth bear the names of the towns they liberated:

The 91st Guards Infantry Division (Major-General Ozimin), the 17th Guards Infantry Division (Major-General Kvashnin), the 184th-Infantry Division (Colonel Tsukharev), the 46th Mechanized Brigade (Colonel Manzhurin), the 47th Mechanized Brigade (Lieutenant-Colonel Mikhailov), the 21st Artillery Division (Major-General of Artillery Samborsky), the 4th Antitank Artillery Brigade (Colonel Savlevich), the 4th Assault Engineer Sappers Brigade (Lieutenant-Colonel Matuzas), the 306th Infantry Division (Colonel Kucheryavenko), the 134th Infantry Division (Major-General Dobrovolsky), the 234th Infantry Division (Colonel Turyev), the 178th Infantry Division (Major-General Kudryavtsev), the 185th Infantry Division (Major-General Andreushchenko), the 82nd Red Banner Infantry Division (Major-General Pissarev), the 274th Infantry Division (Colonel Shulga), the 359th Infantry Division (Colonel Kosol-apov), the 233rd Assault Air Division (Lieutenant-Colonel Solovik), the 123rd Assault Air Division (Lieutenant-Colonel Solovik), the 123rd Guards Bomber Aircraft Regiment (Major Dymchenko), the 2nd Guards Motor Cycle Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Polubochko), the 529th Tank Artillery Regiment (Lieutenant-Col-onel Vyburov), the 72nd Engineering Battalion (Major Mosenzon), the 90th Independent Pontoon and Bridge-Building Battalion (Major Semonov).

To commemorate the victory, the following titles shall be conferred on the formations and units which particularly distinguished themselves in the battles for breaking through the strongly fortified German defence zone and in the liberation of the towns of Dukhovshchina and Yartsevo: The name of Dukhovshchina will be conferred on the 91st Guards Infantry Division, the 17th Guards Infantry Division, the 184th Infantry Division, the 46th Mechanized Brigade, the 47th Mechanized Brigade, the 21st Artillery Division, the 4th Anti-tank Artillery Brigade and the 4th Assault Engineering Sapper Brigade.

The name of Yartsevo shall be conferred on: the 82nd Red Banner Infantry Division, the 274th Infantry Division, the 359th Infantry Division, the 529th Anti-tank Artillery Regiment, the 90th Independent Pontoon and Bridge- Building Battalion, the 72nd Engineering Battalion, the 2nd Guards Motor Cycle Regiment, the 233rd Assault Aircraft Division and the 123rd Guards Bomber Aircraft Regiment. The name of Ribshevo shall be conferred on: the 306th Infantry Division, the name of Verdino on the 134th Infantry Division, the name of Lomonosovo on the 24th Infantry Division, the name of Kulagino on the 178th Infantry Division, and the name of Pankrotovo on the 185th Infantry Division.

Henceforth they are named: the 91st Guards Dukhovshchina Infantry Division,the 17th Guards Dukhovshchina Infantry Division, the 184th Dukhovshchina Infantry Division, the 46th Dukhovshchina Mechanized Brigade, the 21st Dukhovshchina Artillery Division, the 4th Dukhovshchina Anti-tank Artillery Brigade, the 4th Dukhovshchina Assault Engineering Sapper Brigade; the 82nd Red Banner Yartsevo Infantry Division, the 274th Yartsevo Infantry Division, the 359th Yartsevo Infantry Division, the 529th Yartsevo Anti-tank Artillery Regiment, the 90th Yartsevo Independent Pontoon and Bridge-Building Battali on, the 72nd Yartsevo Engineering Battalion, the 2nd Guards Yartsevo Motor Cycle Regiment, the 233rd Yartsevo Assault Aircraft Division, the 123rd Guards Yartsevo Bomber Aircraft Regiment; the 306th Ribshevo Infantry Division; the 134th Verdino Infantry Division, the 24th Lomonosovo Infantry Division; the 178th Kulagino Infantry Division and the 185th Pankratovo Infantry Division.

To-day, September 19, at 21.00 hours, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, oil behalf of the Motherland, will salute with 12 artillery salvoes from 124 guns our gallant troops which broke through the German defences on the way to Smolensk and captured the towns of Dukhovshchina and Yartsevo. For excellent military operations, I express my thanks to all troops commanded by you, which tookpart in the battles for Dukhovshchina and Yartsevo.

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