Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief
31 July 1944
[No. 159]

ORDER

OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

To Army General Bagramyan

The troops of the 1st Baltic Front, as a result of a swift manoeuvre by tank formations and infantry, today, 31 July, captured in fighting the city of Jelgava (Mitava) — the main communications junction linking the Baltic region with East Prussia.

In the fighting for the capture of the city of Jelgava, distinction was won by tankmen of Lieutenant-General of Tank Troops Obukhov, Major-General of Tank Troops Bely, Colonel Kremer, Lieutenant-Colonel Starodubtsev, Major-General of Tank Troops Rodionov, Major-General of Tank Troops Aslanov, Major-General of Tank Troops Skornyakov, Colonel Maksimov, Lieutenant-Colonel Nikolov, Lieutenant-Colonel Yablokov, Lieutenant-Colonel Shukakidze, Colonel Koshelev, Lieutenant-Colonel Komko; troops of Lieutenant-General Kreizer, Lieutenant-General Missan, Major-General Neverov, Major-General Potapenko, Major-General Yukhimchuk, Major-General Rodionov, Colonel Sobyanin, Colonel Lenivy, Lieutenant-Colonel Butin, Lieutenant-Colonel Proskurnya, Major Paramonov; artillerymen of Colonel-General of Artillery Khlebnikov, Major-General of Artillery Telegin, Major-General of Artillery Bazhanov, Major-General of Artillery Ionov, Colonel Idelson, Colonel Veliky, Colonel Kozlov, Lieutenant-Colonel Peskovsky, Colonel Gnatyshyn, Lieutenant-Colonel Viskov, Colonel Baryshev, Major Yefimov; airmen of Lieutenant-General of Aviation Papivin, Major-General of Aviation Sandalov, Colonel Skok, Colonel Fokin, Colonel Kitaev, Colonel Stalin, Colonel Aleksandrov, Colonel Kuchma, Colonel Kurbatov, Major Martyanov, Major Ilyin, Major Lutokhin; sappers of Major-General of Engineering Troops Kosarev, Major-General of Engineering Troops Bazhenov, Lieutenant-Colonel Ivanov, Lieutenant-Colonel Kuznetsov; signallers of Major-General of Signal Troops Babkin, Colonel Chernov, Colonel Obanichev, Colonel Borzobogaty, Lieutenant-Colonel Starichkov.

To commemorate the victory won, the formations and units which have distinguished themselves most in the fighting for the capture of the city of Jelgava (Mitava) will be recommended for conferment of the honorary designation "Mitava" and for award of orders.

Today, 31 July, at 23.00 hours, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, in the name of the Motherland, will salute the valiant troops of the 1st Baltic Front which have captured the city of Jelgava 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 city of Jelgava.

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. 159]