Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief
31 July 1944
[No. 158]

ORDER

OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

To Marshal of the Soviet Union Rokossovsky

The troops of the 1st Byelorussian Front, after stubborn fighting, took by storm the cities and major communications junctions of Siedlce, Minsk-Mazowiecki, and Lukow — powerful German defensive strongpoints on the approaches to Warsaw.

In the fighting for the capture of the cities of Siedlce, Minsk-Mazowiecki, and Lukow, distinction was won by tankmen of Major-General Radziyevsky, Major-General of Tank Troops Yushchuk, Lieutenant-General of Tank Troops Popov, Major-General of Tank Troops Vedeneyev, Major-General of Tank Troops Dubovoy, Colonel Konstantinov, Colonel Pavlushko, Colonel Zharov, Colonel Shevchenko, Colonel Stepanov, Colonel Turenkov, Colonel Piskarev, Lieutenant-Colonel Pivnev, Lieutenant-Colonel Makarov; cavalrymen of Lieutenant-General Kryukov, Major-General Yagodin, Major-General Millerov, Major-General Kursakov; troops of Lieutenant-General Gusev, Major-General Anashkin, Major-General Chernov, Colonel Kaladze; artillerymen of Major-General of Artillery Lyarsky, Colonel Kopelev, Colonel Nikitin, Colonel Malyavsky, Lieutenant-Colonel Mukhachev, Lieutenant-Colonel Shcherbenok, Lieutenant-Colonel Shadrukhin, Major Shumarchenko; airmen of Lieutenant-General of Aviation Prynin, Major-General of Aviation Krupsky, Major-General of Aviation Tokarev, Major-General of Aviation Sidnev, Lieutenant-Colonel Gavrilchenko, Major Ukhanev; sappers of Colonel Komarov, Colonel Levin, Captain Dagaev; signallers of Colonel Ignatyev, Colonel Belenko, Major Lesnikov, Major Tsibulko.

To commemorate the victory won, the formations and units which have distinguished themselves most in the fighting for the capture of the cities of Siedlce, Minsk-Mazowiecki, and Lukow will be recommended for conferment of the honorary designation "Siedlce" and for award of orders.

Today, 31 July, at 22.00 hours, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, in the name of the Motherland, will salute the valiant troops of the 1st Byelorussian Front which have captured the cities of Siedlce, Minsk-Mazowiecki, and Lukow with twenty artillery salvoes from two hundred and twenty-four guns.

For excellent military operations I express my thanks to the troops under your command who took part in the fighting for the liberation of the cities of Siedlce, Minsk-Mazowiecki, and Lukow.

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

31 July 1944 [No. 158]