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Oscar Victor Mannas was born on 5 Nov 1923 in Philadelphia, PA and died 8 Aug 1945 1945 from hostile actions in WWII. His parents were Joseph Mannas (1898-1983) and Eva Fritach (1898-1953). Both of his parents were born in Romania. Oscar had 1 older brother, Ernest J. (1921-1945). Ernest died in a railroad accident in Reims, France in WWII. When Oscar registered for the draft in 1942, he worked for the Link Belt Company in Philadelphia, PA.
Oscar registered for the draft on 30 Jun 1942 in Philadelphia, PA and enlisted in the Navy in Philadelphia, PA on 9 Jul 1942 as a seaman. His service number was 2441697. He was trained as a Torpedoman’s Mate 2nd Class. He was shown on a Navy Muster Report for the USS Ranger on 31 Dec 1942. He was eventually assigned to the USS Bullhead (SS 332) when it was commissioned. The Bullhead was a Balao class submarine and commissioned on 4 Dec 1944 and operated in the Pacific Theater during WWII beginning 21 Mar 1945. Her area of operations included the Java Sea, the South China Sea and the Gulf of Siam. During the greater portion of her first patrol, she performed lifeguard services and on 2 occasions bombarded Pratas Island, China damaging enemy radio installations. She also rescued 3 airman from a downed Boeing B-29 Superfortress. On 8 Apr 1945, a B-24 Liberator mistakenly dropped 3 or 4 bombs on the USS Bullhead as she submerged, but she was not damaged. On 19 Apr 1945, another B-24 Liberator dropped 2 depth charges on the USS Bullhead, but she again suffered no damage. On her second patrol from May-Jun 1945 in the Gulf of Siam and the South China Sea, she sank 2 small freighters, a schooner and a submarine chaser, all in gun actions. On her 3rd patrol, she left Fremantle submarine base in Australia on 31 Jul 1945. Her orders were to patrol with 2 other submarines until 5 Sep 1945 and then head for Subic May in the Philippines. On 6 Aug 1945, she reported that she had passed through Lombok Strait which was the last report received from her. It is believed that a Japanese Mitsubshi Ki-51 aircraft dropped depth charges in the area where the USS Bullhead was operating and it claimed 2 direct hits. For 10 minutes after, there was a great amount of oil and air bubbles rising to the surface. The area that the USS Bullhead was sunk was close to the Balinesecoast in the Java Sea.and that the proximity to the mountains prevented her from receiving warning of the aircraft’s approach. The sinking of the sub on 6 Aug 1945 could never be officially confirmed. Eight-four sailors, including TM2C Mannas went down with the submarine. The USS Bullhead was probably sunk on the same day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. It was the last ship to be sunk during WWII. A report of Missing at Sea was initially issued. A Finding of Death (FOD) was issued for the crew on 23 Aug 1946.
TM2C Mannas’ remains were never recovered. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) lists his status as unaccounted for. He is memorialized at the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila, the Philippines. He is also memorialized with a cenotaph at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheltenham, PA on the same headstone as his brother. There is also a USS Bullhead Memorial in Albuquerque, NM. TM2C Mannas was awarded the Purple Heart.
Reference
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56768149/oscar-victor-mannas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Bullhead
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53114502/oscar-victor-mannas
https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfileHome
https://www.visitalbuquerque.org/listing/uss-bullhead-memorial-park/1410/
This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Together We Served and on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.
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COL Gary Smith - Contributing Author, Stories Behind the Stars
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