The forces of the 3rd Baltic Front launched an offensive, broke down enemy defenses and on September 19 took over a heavily defended area in Southern Estonia, the town and major railroad junction of VALGA, and secured over 200 other settlements, including the city of TORVA, the settlements of KAUBI, HELJME, KORKULA, KAAGARVE, LEPA, VIRESI, MALUMUIZA, and LESIACIEMS.
To the east of the city of Riga, our forces took over the town and railroad junction of PLIAVINAS, and secured over 600 other settlements, including such important points as VELENA, LIZUMS, JAUNGULBENZ, CESVAINE, JAUNADULIENA, LIEZERE, IRSI, ODZIENA and railroad stations of ELSTE, JAUNGULBENE, DEGAS, and KLINTENE.
The forces of the 1st Baltic Front launched an offensive supported by massive artillery and air strikes to break through heavy and extensively prepared enemy defenses to the southeast of the city of RIGA and in four days of offensive action advanced by up to 40 kilometers, widening the gap in enemy defenses to 120 kilometers. During the offensive, the forces of the front took over important enemy strongpoints - the settlements of BAUSKA, JECAVA, VECMUIZA and on the river ZAPADNAYA (WESTERN) DVINA — JANELGAVA and TEKAVA - and secured over 2,000 other settlements, including such important points as KURMENE, SKAJSTKALNE, BARBELES, BUKAS and railroad stations of DAUDZEVA, TAURKALNS, LACPLESIS, VECMUIZA, MISA, and JECAVA.
To the west of the town of JELGAVA (MITAVA), our forces successfully repulsed the enemy’s multiple armor-supported infantry attacks and inflicted heavy losses in manpower and materiel upon the enemy.
In Western Romania, our forces, together with the Romanian Army, secured the city and important railroad junction of TIMISOARA.
Elsewhere on the front reconnaissance operations and local combat engagements went on.
On September 18 our forces destroyed 121 German tanks on all fronts. The Soviet air and air defense forces downed 21 enemy aircraft.