Semyon Hitler

Semyon Konstantinovich Hitler
Native name	Семён Константи́нович Ги́тлер
Born	(1922-03-03)March 3, 1922 Orinin, Kamenets-Podolsk District, Podolsk Governorate, Ukrainian SSR
Died	July 3, 1942(1942-07-03) (aged 20) Sevastopol, Crimean ASSR, RSFSR, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Soviet Union
Branch	Red Army
Service years	1940–1942
Rank	Private
Conflicts	World War II Odessa Defense (1941) Siege of Sevastopol
Awards	The Order of the Patriotic War Medal "For Courage" (USSR) Medal "For the Defense of Odessa" Medal "For the Defense of Sevastopol"

Semyon Konstantinovich Hitler (March 3, 1922 – July 3, 1942) was a Jewish Red Army machine gunner who was killed during the Siege of Sevastopol.^[1]

Semyon was born in the Ukrainian SSR to a Jewish family. Semyon became a member of the Komsomol and later joined the Red Army in 1940.^[1][2] He was called to the front by the Orininsky District Military Registration and Enlistment Office. He participated in the defense of Odessa and was a heavy machine gunner in the 73rd Separate Machine Gun Battalion of the Tiraspol Fortified Region ( 73rd OPB TiUR ). On September 9, 1941, he was awarded the Medal "For Courage." The award nomination noted: "As a heavy machine gunner, Comrade Hitler destroyed hundreds of enemy soldiers with his machine gun's accurate fire over eight days of continuous combat. During the advance on Hill 174.5, Hitler supported a rifle platoon with heavy machine gun fire. However, the enemy, coming from the rear, surrounded the platoon and scattered it. Meanwhile, Comrade Hitler, alone and already wounded, kept his composure and continued firing until he had expended all his ammunition. He then abandoned his position and crawled stealthily through enemy-held territory for more than 10 kilometers. He returned to his unit with his machine gun.^[3]" On July 3, 1942, Semyon Konstantinovich died in the battle for Sevastopol.^[4]

At the instigation of the family of Semyon Konstantinovich, a legend of the following content became popular: the commandant of Orinin discovered the Hitler family, but, having checked their documents, he was afraid to send a family bearing the Fuhrer’s surname to the ghetto.^[1][5]