August 22 the 18th Tanks broke into the clear and advanced more than 50 km towards Huși, which eased the way for the 62nd Guards and 254th Divisions to reach from Rediul to Cuiaba. On the same day Iași was liberated and on September 15 the division would be awarded the Order of the Red Banner for its role in the battle. Overnight the Axis forces in the Iași area attempted to withdraw to a new line along the left bank of the Deia River but were unsuccessful due to the pace of the 52nd Army's advance. On August 23 the Army advanced significantly, pushing aside small enemy rearguards and mopping up units that had been scattered by 18th Tanks. By the end of the day the 21st Guards Corps, with the 69th Guards still in second echelon, had pushed south of Vaslui to Bahnari to east of Solești. The following day the Army continued to develop the offensive and the Corps encountered only insignificant resistance, reaching a line from Vutcani to Hurdugi. By now the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts had jointly encircled the Axis Chișinău group of forces, most of which was east of the Prut River. The plan for this group of about 70,000 personnel was to force the Prut in the Huși area and then to break through to reach Hungarian territory. The task of preventing this and destroying the Axis forces in the Huși area fell to the 52nd Army. On August 24 the 21st Guards Corps was directed to occupy a line from Berezeni to Stănilești by the morning of the next day which gave each first echelon division a 14 km-wide frontage to cover. By the end of August 25 the 69th Guards had extended its front from the 62nd Guards' left flank to the Prut at a right angle to the latter. In the process of the advance on August 24 the cities of Huși, Bacău, Bârlad and Roman were all occupied and on September 15 each of the regiments of the division would be decorated in consequence. The 206th Guards Rifle Regiment received the Order of the Red Banner, the 208th Guards Rifle Regiment and the 139th Guards Artillery Regiment each won the Order of Kutuzov, 3rd Degree, and the 204th Guards Rifle Regiment was recognized with the Order of Alexander Nevsky. The German XXXXIV, XXX and LII Army Corps planned