Order of the Day, September 16, 1943

Issued by Marshal Stalin and addressed to Colonel-General Petrov and Vice-Admiral Vladimirsky To-day, September 16, our troops of the Northern Caucasus front, in collaboration with the ships and units of the Black Sea Fleet, as the result of a daring operation, by an attack on land and the landing of a force from the sea, after five days of fierce battles in the course of which the 73rd German Infantry Division, the 4th and 101st German Mountain Infantry Division, the 4th Rumanian Mountain Infantry Division and the harbour defence force of German Marines were routed, took by storm the important Black Sea port and town of Novorossiisk.

In the fighting for Novorossiisk troops under Lieutenant-General Leselidze, sailors under Rear-Admiral

Kholostyakov and airmen under Lieutenant-General of Aviation Vershinin and Lieutenant-General of Aviation Yermashenko distinguished themselves.

The following troops particularly distinguished themselves: The 318th Infantry Division (commanded by Colonel Vrutsky), the 55th Guards Irkutsk Infantry Division (named after the Supreme Soviet of the Russian S.F.S.R., holder of the Order of Lenin and three times honoured by the award of the Order of the Red Banner, commanded by Major-General Arshintsev), the 83rd Red Banner Independent Marine Brigade (Lieutenant-Colonel Kozlov), the 5th Guards Tank Brigade (Colonel Shurenkov), the 290th Independent Infantry Regiment of the Troops of the. People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (Lieutenant-Colonel Piskarev), the 393rd Independent Battalion of Marines (Lieutenant-Captain Botylev), the 11th Stormovik Aircraft Division of the Black Sea Fleet Air Arm (Lieutenant-Colonel Gubny), the 88th Guards Fighter Aircraft Regiment (Major Maximenko), the 889th Night Light-Bomber Aircraft Regiment (Major Bocharov), the 2nd Brigade of Torpedo Cutters (Captain of the 2nd rank Protsenko), the 1st Red Banner Squadron of Patrol Cutters (Lieutenant- Captain Glukhov), the 4th Squadron of Patrol Cutters (Lieutenant-Captain Sipyagin), the 81st Howitzer Artillery Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Akhtrychenko), the 69th Guards Artillery Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Petrun), the 1,169th Cannon Artillery Regiment (Colonel Tarasov), the 108th Guards Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (Major Bagnych), the 195th Mountain Mortar .Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Ivanyan), the 1st Guards Independent Artillery Battalion (Major Matushenko), the 251st Independent Mobile Artillery Battalion (Captain Soluyanov), and the 8th Guards Mortar Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Makaryan). To commemorate the victory, the following troops which distinguished themselves in the liberation of the town of Novorossiisk; will be awarded the title of "Novorossiisk Troops" the 318th Infantry Division, the 83rd Red Banner Independent Marine Brigade, the 5th Guards Tank Brigade, the 290th Independent Infantry Regiment of the troops of the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs, the 393rd Independent Battalion of Marines, the 11th Stormovic Aircraft Formation, the 88th Guards Fighter Aircraft Regiment, the 889th Night-Light Bomber Aircraft Regiment, the 2nd Brigade of Torpedo Cutters, the 1st Red Banner Squadron of Patrol Cutters, the 4th Squadron of Patrol Cutters, the 81st Howitzer Artillery Regiment, the 69th Guards Artillery Regiment, the 1,16.9th Cannon Artillery Regiment, the 108th Guards Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment, the 195th Mountain Mortar Regiment, the 1st Guards Independent Artillery Battalion, the 251st Independent Mobile Artillery Battalion and the 8th Guards Mortar Regiment.

Henceforth they are named: the 318th Novorossiisk Infantry Division, the 83rd Red Banner Novorossiisk Independent Marine Brigade, the 5th Guards Novorossiisk Tank Brigade, the 290th Novorossiisk Independent Infantry Regiment of the troops of the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs, the 393rd Novorossiisk Independent Battalion of Marines, the 11th Novorossiisk Stormovik Aircraft Formation, the 88th Guards Novorossiisk Fighter Aircraft Regiment, the 889th Night Light-Bomber Aircraft Regiment, the 2nd Novorossiisk Brigade of Torpedo Cutters, the 1st Red Banner Novorossiisk Squadron of Patrol Cutters, the 4th Novorossiisk Squadron of Patrol Cutters, the 81st Novorossiisk Howitzer Artillery Regiment, the 69th Guards Novorossiisk Artillery Regiment, the 1,169th Novorossiisk Cannon Artillery Regiment , the 108th Guards Novorossiisk Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment,' the 195th Novorossiisk Mountain Mortar Regiment, the 1st Guards Novorossiisk Independent Artillery Battalion, the 251st Novorossiisk Independent Mobile Artillery Battalion and the 8th Guards Novorossiisk Mortar Regiment. The 55th Guards Irkutsk Infantry Division (named, after the Supreme Soviet of the R.S.F.S.R., holder of the Order of Lenin and three times awarded the Order of the Red Banner), which has frequently distinguished itself in battle against the enemies of our Motherland, is recommended for the award of the Order of Suvorov, 2nd Grade. To-day, September 16, at 20.00 hours, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, in the name of the Motherland, will salute with 12 artillery salvoes from 124 guns our gallant troops which liberated the town of Novorossiisk. At the same time, the ships of the Black Sea Fleet will be saluted with 12 salvoes in honour of the ships and units which have liberated the second base of the Black Sea, Novorossiisk, from the German-fascist yoke.

For their excellent military operations, I express my gratitude to. all the troops commanded by you which participated in the battles for the liberation of Novorossiisk. 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