E. V. Loustalot
Encyclopedia
Edward Vincent Loustalot was a U.S. Army Rangers Lieutenant
from Louisiana
. He was killed in action
on August 19, 1942, while participating in the Dieppe Raid
and is considered the first American
soldier
to be killed by Germans
on land in World War II
. Fellow 1st Ranger Battalion members Lieutenant Joseph Randall and T-4 Howard Henry were the other two Americans who died at Dieppe.
During the mission, Loustalot took command after the British Captain leading the assault was killed. He scaled a steep cliff with his men, was wounded three times, but was eventually cut down by enemy crossfire in his attempts to reach the machine gun
nest at the top of the cliff.
Frequently in accounts of the Dieppe Raid, Lt Loustalot has been incorrectly referred to as Edwin rather than Edward.
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
from Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. He was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
on August 19, 1942, while participating in the Dieppe Raid
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
and is considered the first American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
to be killed by Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
on land in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Fellow 1st Ranger Battalion members Lieutenant Joseph Randall and T-4 Howard Henry were the other two Americans who died at Dieppe.
During the mission, Loustalot took command after the British Captain leading the assault was killed. He scaled a steep cliff with his men, was wounded three times, but was eventually cut down by enemy crossfire in his attempts to reach the machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
nest at the top of the cliff.
Frequently in accounts of the Dieppe Raid, Lt Loustalot has been incorrectly referred to as Edwin rather than Edward.