Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief
24 June 1944
[No. 115]

ORDER

OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

To Army General Bagramyan

Troops of the 1st Baltic Front, going over to the offensive, supported by massed strikes of artillery and aircraft, broke through the strong, deeply echeloned defences of the German Vitebsk fortified area north-west of the city of Vitebsk, on a sector 35 kilometres long, in two days of offensive fighting advanced to a depth of from 20 to 40 kilometres, widening the breakthrough to 80 kilometres along the front, and reached the River Western Dvina on a 35-kilometre stretch.

In the fighting to break through the German defences, distinction was won by troops of Lieutenant-General Chistyakov, Lieutenant-General Beloborodov, Lieutenant-General Vasilyev, Major-General Ruchkin, Lieutenant-General Yermakov, Major-General Fedyunkin, Major-General Lyukhtikov, Major-General Khvostov, Major-General Vlasov, Major-General Chernikov, Major-General Baksov, Major-General Sivakov, Major-General Kucheryavenko, Colonel Shkurin, Colonel Gnedin, Colonel Lutskevich, Colonel Chernous; artillerymen of Lieutenant-General of Artillery Khlebnikov, Major-General of Artillery Bazhanov, Major-General of Artillery Makarov, Major-General of Artillery Shcheglov, Major-General of Artillery Samborsky, Colonel Stepanenko, Colonel Mironov, Colonel Melnikov, Lieutenant-Colonel Mikhailov; tankmen of Major-General of Tank Troops Skornyakov, Colonel Podkovsky, Colonel Sadovsky, Colonel Kalinin, Colonel Volkov; airmen of Lieutenant-General of Aviation Papivin, Colonel Tikhomirov, Colonel Alexandrov, Colonel Kurbatov, Major Martyanov, and sappers of Major-General of Engineering Troops Kosarev, Major-General of Engineering Troops Kolmakov, Colonel Kuchuruk, Colonel Stechishin.

To commemorate the victory, the formations and units which distinguished themselves most in the fighting shall be recommended for conferment of the title "Vitebsk" and for award of orders.

Today, 24 June, at 22 hours 30 minutes, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, on behalf of the Motherland, salutes the valiant troops of the 1st Baltic Front that broke through the German defences with twenty artillery salvoes from two hundred and twenty-four guns.

For excellent combat operations I express my thanks to the troops under your command who participated in the fighting to break through the enemy's defences.

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

Death to the German invaders!

Supreme Commander-in-Chief

Marshal of the Soviet Union I. STALIN

24 June 1944 [No. 115]