[Leendert]

Lt. James W. O'Neil of the 249th Field Artillery Battalion, 27th Infantry Division reportedly was flying as an observer in a US Navy plane when aircraft was shot down in the Saipan operations on 30 June 1944 (29 June also possible...).
He is missing since.

Am trying to find out what USN plane may have been involved. A candidate is a TBM-1c Avenger (BuNo 16794) of VC-65 (USS Midway, CVE-63), but War Diary of this carrier offers no info regarding air losses of embarked squadrons.

As a note, the COMCARDIV 25 War Diary of June 1944 says on the 29th: "During the morning a MIDWAY TBM carrying 4th Marine Corps observer was shot down by enemy AA over SAIPAN. No survivors."

There was a TBM loss on the 29th, but this one BuNo 16925 from the carrier USS Fanshaw Bay, with pilot Lt Mooney.

Confusing, to say the least.

Any leads welcome, thanks.

Regards,
Leendert