World War II Chronicle: August 19, 1942
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The front page reports that American, British, Canadian, and Fighting French troops conducted a raid on Dieppe. The 1st Ranger Battalion sent 50 Rangers on the mission. According to Ross Hall’s The Ranger Book: A History 1634 – 2006 : “… Fifty Rangers participated, but only 12 got to the beach. Of those, only eight got inland.” At least three were killed, including 1st Lt. Edward V. Loustalot Jr., who is considered the first American ground casualty in Europe during World War II. Wounded three times while scaling a cliff, Loustalot assumed command when his British captain was wounded, then he too fell while assaulting an enemy machinegun position. Loustalot was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by King George VI… Several American airmen, some flying Supermarine Spitfires, also lost their lives while supporting the attack.
Page 10 mentions an American bombing raid on Rouen, France on Aug. 17 — the first U.S. daylight heavy bomber mission. Brig. Gen. Ira C. Eaker flew lead for one formation in a B-17E named Yankee Doodle. Eaker was the commanding officer of VIII Bomber Command and in December becomes the CO of the Eighth Air Force. Another formation is led by Maj. Paul Tibbetts (who will become famous for another bombing raid across the globe in 1945) in Butcher Shop. Tibbetts’ co-pilot is Col. Frank A. Armstrong, who is CO of the 97th Bomber Group. Armstrong serves as the primary inspiration for Gregory Peck’s character in the movie Twelve O’Clock High…
Sports section begins on page 42, featuring a Frances Stan column on Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, and Ty Cobb. Ruth (48-years-old) will face Johnson (55) in an upcoming Army-Navy Service Fund benefit game.
Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 19 August 1942. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1942-08-19/ed-1/