Saipan - 30 June 1944 - Lt. James W. O'Neil - USN plane

[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

[Leendert]

Must reply myself.... Reading on in the COMCARDIV 25 War Diary, it says on 30 June:

"During morning VT from MIDWAY shot down over SAIPAN west coast by enemy AA. Pilot parachuted safely. Observer 27th Infantry, U.S. Army and aircrewman killed in crash.".

Pilot likely to have been Lt T(homas?) Franco. Who was the aircrewman?

Regards,
Leendert

[Jim MacDonald]

I have a TBM pilot Ens. Thomas E. Franco 264365 involved in an accident on 28 Apr 44, while with VC-3 on Kalinin Bay. His radioman on that date was ARM2c John Henry Stein. Stein was killed on 30 Jun 44 while with VC-65.



I assume it's possible that Franco and his entire crew were transferred to VC-65 sometime in May or June.


Mac

[Leendert]

Thanks for info. USS Kalinin Bay, USS White Plains, USS Fanshaw Bay and USS Midway (renamed St. Lo somewhat later) were part of same Carrier Division, so exchange of crews possible.

If name details are available about the 29 June 1944 loss with the Marine observer, then happy to hear so. I guess pilot here was Lt. Pierce D. Mooney.
ARM2 Leland S. Burton (VC-3) was part of crew?

Regards,
Leendert

[twocee]

A view from the Marines on the ground:

"One of our own TBFs was hit by anti-aircraft fire this morning. The pilot bailed out at 400 feet and landed safely behind our own lines. But the radioman and an Army artillery observer crashed with the plane, which landed (in the area of the 1st Battalion 2nd Marines) and wounded eight men. The same Jap anti-aircraft gun (at Tanapag Harbor) yesterday shot down another TBF, from which nobody escaped".