ORDER

OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

To Army General Govorov

The troops of the Leningrad Front, developing their offensive, on the night of 26 January took by storm the city and large railway junction of Gatchina (Krasnogvardeisk), which the Germans had converted into a fortress with a developed system of long-established defensive works.

In the fighting to capture the city of Gatchina, the troops of Colonel-General Maslennikov, Major-General Tikhonov, Major-General Anisimov, Major-General Trubachev, Major-General Ratov, Major-General Zaionchkovsky, Major-General Yakutovich, Colonel Lyashchenko, Colonel Burmistrov, Colonel Demidov, Colonel Batluk; the artillerymen of Lieutenant-General of Artillery Odintsov, Major-General of Artillery Mikhalkin, Colonel Rogozin, Colonel Znamensky; the tankmen of Lieutenant-General of Tank Troops Baranov and Colonel Zhukov; the airmen of Lieutenant-General of Aviation Rybalchenko and Lieutenant-General of Aviation Samokhin; and the sappers of Colonel Rui and Lieutenant-Colonel Lomachinsky distinguished themselves.

To commemorate the victory won, the formations and units that most distinguished themselves in the fighting shall be recommended for the award of the designation "Gatchina" and for decoration with orders.

Today, 26 January, at 20:00 hours, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, in the name of the Motherland salutes our valiant troops who captured the city of Gatchina, with twelve artillery salvoes from one hundred and twenty-four guns.

For excellent combat operations I declare my gratitude to all the troops under your command who took part in the fighting for the liberation of the city of Gatchina.

Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the struggle for the freedom and independence of our Motherland!

Death to the German invaders!

Supreme Commander-in-Chief

Marshal of the Soviet Union I. STALIN

26 January 1944 [No. 64]