Issued by Marshal Stalin and addressed to the
Commander of the troops of the Second Ukranian Front, Marshal Malinovsky, and the Chief of Staff of the Front, Col.-Gen. Zakharov

Troops of the Second Ukrainian Front, having pierced the strongly fortified enemy defences north-east of Budapest, widened the breakthrough to 120 kilometres along the front and, advancing to a depth of 60 kilometres, reached the River Danube, north of Budapest.

At the same time troops of the Front south of Budapest forced the Danube, pierced the enemy defences on the western bank of the river, and at Lake Velencze joined up with our troops advancing along the western bank of the Danube towards the north.

During offensive engagements troops of the Front captured the important strongpoints of the enemy defence, the towns of Balassagyarmat,No-grad, Vacz, Aszod and Ercsi, and more than 150 other populated places.

In the fighting for the piercing of the enemy defence and the forcing of the Danube, distinction was won by troops commanded by Col.-Gen. Shumilov, Maj.-Gen. Lukin, Lt.-Gen. Shlemin, Maj.-Gen. Birman, Lt.-Gen. Managarov, Maj.-Gen. Yakovlev, Lt.-Gen. Safiulin, Maj.-Gen. Alekhin, Maj.-Gen. Lazko, Maj.-Gen. Gigorovich, Maj.-Gen. Kolchuk, Maj.-Gen. Kruze, Maj.-Gen. Terentyev, Maj.-Gen. Preobrazhensky, Maj.-Gen. Fedorovsky, Maj.-Gen. Smirnov, Col. Vassilevsky, Col. Korkin, Col. Batluk, Maj.-Gen. Molozhayev, Maj.-Gen. Li-lenkov, Col. Voloshin, Maj.-Gen. Sarayev, Col. Dunayev, Maj.-Gen. Karamyshev, Col. Orlov, Maj. Gen. Losev and Maj.-Gen. Zdanovich.

Artillerymen commanded by Col.-Gen. of Artillery Formin, Maj.-Gen. of Artillery Shmakov, Maj.-Gen. of Artillery Petrov, Maj.-Gen. of Artillery Alexeyenko, Maj.-Gen. of Artillery Zykov, Maj.-Gen. of Artillery Gusarov, Maj.-Gen. of Artillery Ivanov, Maj.-Gen.of Artillery Bobrovnikov, Maj.-Gen. of Artillery Popovich, Col. Gushkin, Col. Nekrasov, Col. Rodin, Lt.-Col. Lyubimov, Col. Sapozhnikov, Lt.-Col. Kazak, Lt.-Col. Denis-enkov, Lt.-Col. Tronev and Lt.-Col. Kisly.

Tankmen commanded by Col.-Gen. of Tank Troops Kurkin, Col.-Gen. of Tank Troops Krav-chenko, Maj.-Gen. of Tank Troops Stromberg,Lt.-Gen. of Tank Troops Volkov, Maj.-Gen. of Tank Troops Savelyev, Lt.-Gen. of Tank Troops Zhdanov and Col. Brizhinev.

Cavalry commanded by Lt.-Gen. Pliyev, Maj.-Gen. Pichugin, Maj.-Gen. Kjuts, Maj.-Gen. Golovsky, Maj.-Gen. Pavlov, Maj.-Gen. Khrustal-ov, Maj.-Gen. Belousov, Col. Gagua, Col. Niki-forov and Col. Bliznyuk.

Airmen commanded by Col.-Gen. of Aviation Goryunov, Lt.-Gen. of Aviation Seleznev,Lt.-Gen. of Aviation Kamanin, Maj.-Gen. of Aviation Prostoserdov, Col. Chenpalov, Col. Romanov and Maj. Sushko.

Sappers commanded by Lt.-Gen. of Engineering Troops Tsirlin, Maj.-Gen. of Engineering Troops Plyaskin, Maj.-Gen. of Engineering Troops Ignatov, Maj.-Gen. of Engineering Troops Tupi-chev, Maj.-Gen. of Engineering Troops Tyulev, Col. Tsepenyuk, Col. Kovalenko, Col. Isayev, Col. Myasnikov, Col. Kalinichenko, Col. Massonov and Lt.-Col. Anzaurov.

Signallers commanded by Lt.-Gen. of Signal Troops Leonov, Lt.-Col. Grachev, Col. Egorov, Col. Makarenko, Col. Shervud, Maj. Shishelov and Col. of State Security Karpov.

To commemorate the victory, the units and formations whi^h particularly distinguished themselves in the lighting for the piercing of the enemy defence and the forcing of the Danube will be recommended for the award of orders.

Today, December 9, at 20.00 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 of the Second Ukrainian Front which pierced the enemy defence and forced the Danube.

For excellent military operations I express my thanks to all the troops under your command which took part in the fighting for the piercing of the enemy defence and the forcing of the Danube. Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the struggle for the freedom and independence of our Motherland! Death to the German invaders!

J. Stalin

Marshal of the Soviet Union,

Supreme Commander-in-Chief

("Soviet War News Weekly," No.152)