Family is looking for information related to this matter.  Would appreciate assistance. 
P38 pilot 2nd Lt. John H. Mangas was missing over Lae, New Guinea area on January 8, 1943 at 1830. 
Seven 39th FS P38s were providing top cover escort to 43rd BG B17s bombing convoy unloading in-base.
Mangas was flying P38F 42-12665.  Squadron number unknown, but in range of 10 through 39.
Combat Diary said last seen making passes at enemy, and disappeared in a cloud.
Subsequent personal squadron communication to family suggested at end of flight, Mangas saved a disabled B17 bomber and crew, shooting down two enemy, but witnessed him shot down. 
Pilots flying missions that day disagree on if Mangas went down over land or over water. 
Territory held by enemy for eight more months.
No MACR - loss predated MACR protocol. 
Aircraft History Cards record this P38 missing Jan. 9, 1943.
Squadron commanders Major George Prentice and Captain Tommy Lynch were later lost in the war.
Flight leader Lt. Hoyt Eason lost two months later in Battle of Bismark Sea.
Pilots were Eason, Kish, Thompson, Suehr, Walters, Bong, Sparks and Mangas. Kish returned early.
Seven victories-certain on this flight.
Gary Smith

Dear sir
My name is George Chalkiadopoulos and I writing you from Greece.
Unfortunately I cant' help you in your search. I m searching informations and photos
for Greek-Americans pilots from the WWII period. Lt Mangas have Greek heritage or not?
In the Greek language mangas is something like ''roughneck'' or ''crafty guy''.
Can you answer me please?
     Respectfully
       George

Gary - The B - 17 E was # 41-9234.
The Lt. Ray Dau Crew
Shot down 1/8/43 by AA and Zeros over Lae.
Crashed near Wau , NG.
2 KIA  6 RTD
Mike

Pacific wrecks have a large article about this loss on there site:
 
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/p-38/42-12665.html
 
P-38F-5 Serial Number 42-12665




USAAF
5th AF
35th FG
39th FS
 

Pilot 2nd Lt. John H. Mangas (MIA / KIA) (Portland, Oregon)
Lost January 8, 1943
Pilot History
Nicknamed Johnny. While based at Hamilton Field in May and June 1942 for Aerial Combat Training in the P38.  There is a famous story of Richard Bong looping the Golden Gate Bridge in the Summer of 1942, getting caught and grounded.  Bong was up for court-martial for the infraction.  Over a year later, in November of 1943, when Bong was home on leave, he confided to family that he did not fly under the Golden Gate, but was turned-in for buzzing the house of a pilot friend that had just been married.  Bong said he thought he would have been court-martialed out of the Army Air Corps had it not been for the fact that on the very same day, three other pilots flew under the Golden Gate Bridge.  Well, it happened that John Mangas also lost his leave and was grounded at about the same time in the Summer of 1942, because he and a buddy “Mitchell”, were caught flying under the Golden Gate Bridge.  Thus, Johnny probably had a hand in saving the career of the man who would become the greatest Ace pilot ever.
Two days into combat theater and on patrol, his left engine quit at 32,000 feet, and forced a dangerous landing. On touch-down, the hydraulics in the landing gear failed, belly-flopping the plane, which washed out.  Mangas walked away unhurt. 
Mangas was one of four fighter pilots scrambled in a four-plane ‘flight’ of P38 Lightnings: 2nd Lt. Dick Bong and Capt. Tommy Lynch, Lt. Ken Sparks and John Mangas.  They attacked 35 enemy planes on December 27, 1942 striking Dobodura. This was the first aerial combat by the P-38 Lightning in the South West Pacific.  Seven enemy planes were immediately shot down, with Mangas officially credited with one.  Two other four-plane flights of the 39th squadron joined the melee thereafter, shooting down another six enemy-certain. This singular air-battle, realized at the time in the press - nationwide. For his gallantry over Dobodura-Buna, he earned the Silver Star.
Less than two weeks later, on January 6-8, 1943, during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, Mangas scored his second aerial victory on January 6th over the Huon Gulf while attacking enemy fighters defending the convoy 50 miles from Gasmata.
Mission History
On January 8th, John flew missions #1 and #3 that day due to pilot shortages, flying from Port Moresby to Lae.  On mission #3, Johnny and six other P38’s were providing B-17 top cover escort to Lae on a bombing run against the convoy unloading.  In the melee that followed, Johnny’s 39th squadron shot down seven enemy planes-certain.  Dick Bong achieved his fifth aerial victory to become an ace on this same mission while flying in Mangas’ favorite P-38. 
At 1820, flight leader Lt. Hoyt Eason called on all pilots to form up and return to Moresby.  Mangas was last seen to continue making passes at enemy planes, and disappeared into the clouds near dusk.  Johnny was never seen or heard from again.  To this day, fellow pilots disagree on whether he went down over land or water.  It was only recently that family learned that Flight leader Lt. Eason stayed behind for 15 minutes attempting to locate Mangas, but seeing no planes airborne in the area; he finally returned to Moresby, concluding Johnny was shot down.  Lt. Eason noted the territory Johnny was last seen over was held by the enemy on January 8, 1943.  Thus, Johnny was the first P-38 lighting pilot lost in combat in the Pacific.
Mangas was the first P-38 Lightning combat casualty in the South-West Pacific area.
Relatives
Gary Smith (nephew of Mangas) and his memorial day handout related to Mangas' wartime history and loss.
 
 
Terry T.