Order of the Day, July 31, 1944

Order of the Day, addressed to Army-General Chernyakhovsky, announces that troops of the Third Byelorussian Front, passing to the offensive, forced the River Nyemen, broke through strongly fortified enemy defences on the western bank of the Nyemen and in three days offensive engagements advanced up to a depth of 50 kilometres and widened the breach to about 230 kilometres along the front. In the course of the offensive, troops of the front captured the town and large railway station of Mariampol, the important nodal points of communications Pilvishki, Shostakov and Seiny, and captured over 1,500 other populated places. The Order mentions 66 commanders of troops,
artillerymen, tankmen, airmen, sappers and signallers whose units and formations have distinguished themselves. A salute of 20 salvoes was fired from 224 Moscow guns.