Lev Mikhailovich Dovator

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Lev Mikhailovich Dovator (1903 - December 19, 1941) was a Soviet major-general and a Hero of the Soviet Union (1941). Dovator was one of only a handful of Jewish generals in the Red Army in the Second World War, and one of the youngest as well. His spirit and daring inspired devotion among his troops, many of them Cossack cavalrymen who were historically very anti-semitic.

At the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, he was the commander of a cavalry group of the Red Army. In August - September of 1941 this cavalry group under his command executed the most daring raid through the rear areas of the German army in Smolensk region.

During the battle of Moscow, Dovator was the commander of the Guards cavalry corps fending off the enemy advancement at Volokolamsk. He was killed in action near the outskirts of Ruza. He was reportedly cut down by machine-gun fire while crawling towards a forward position to get a better look. Upon hearing of his death, Marshall Georgi Zhukov is said to have lamented that it was a grievous loss.