page_title: Lockheed Ventura
section_title: Operators
hierarchical_section_title: Lockheed Ventura / Operators
caption_attribution_description: A U.S. Marine Corps Lockheed PV-1 Ventura night fighter of Marine night fighter squadron VMF(N)-531 in the Southwest Pacific in 1943. A few PV-1 patrol planes had been modified with AI Mk IV air-search radar for interim use as night fighters.
context_page_description: The Lockheed Ventura is a twin-engine medium bomber and patrol bomber of World War II.
  The Ventura first entered combat in Europe as a bomber with the RAF in late 1942. Designated PV-1 by the United States Navy, it entered combat in 1943 in the Pacific. The bomber was also used by the United States Army Air Forces, which designated it the Lockheed B-34 and B-37 as a trainer. British Commonwealth forces also used it in several guises, including antishipping and antisubmarine search and attack.
  The Ventura was developed from the Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar transport, as a replacement for the Lockheed Hudson bombers then in service with the Royal Air Force. Used in daylight attacks against occupied Europe, they proved to have weaknesses and were removed from bomber duty and some used for patrols by Coastal Command.
  After USAAF monopolization of land-based bombers was removed, the US Navy ordered a revised design which entered service as the PV-2 Harpoon for anti-submarine work.
context_section_description:  Australia
  Royal Australian Air Force 75 aircraft, 1943–1946
  No. 13 Squadron RAAF
  No. 459 Squadron RAAF
  No. 464 Squadron RAAF
   Brazil
  Brazilian Air Force 20 aircraft 1944–1956
  1st Medium Bomber Group
   Canada
  Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 286 aircraft 1943–1957
  Operational Squadrons of the Home War Establishment (HWE):
  No. 8 Squadron RCAF
  No. 113 Squadron RCAF
  No. 115 Squadron RCAF
  No. 145 Squadron RCAF
  No. 149 Squadron RCAF
   France
  French Navy – Aeronavale 1944–1961
  Flotille 6F (PV-1 only, from 1944 to 1947)
  Escadrille 11S (PV-1 from 1947 to 1953 and six PV-2s from 1953 to 1960) for transport duty only.
   Italy
  Italian Air Force operated 22 Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon from 1953 until 1959
   Japan
  Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force 17 aircraft from 1955 to 1960
  Kanoya Flying Training Wing
   Netherlands
  Dutch Naval Aviation Service 18 aircraft from 1951 to 1955
  No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron RAF
   New Zealand
  Royal New Zealand Air Force 143 aircraft from 1943 to 1948
  No. 1 Squadron RNZAF
  No. 2 Squadron RNZAF
  No. 3 Squadron RNZAF
  No. 4 Squadron RNZAF
  No. 8 Squadron RNZAF
  No. 9 Squadron RNZAF
  No. 487 Squadron RNZAF
  No. 1 (B) OTU
  No. 14 Servicing Unit
   Portugal
  Portuguese Air Force 42 aircraft from 1954 to 1975
  Squadron 61, Montijo Air Base (1954–1960)
  Squadron 62, Montijo Air Base (1954–1960)
  Squadron 91, Luanda Air Base, Angola (1961–1971)
  Squadron 103, Beira Air Base, Mozambique (1962)
  Squadron 101, Beira Air Base, Mozambique (1962–1975)
  Squadron 401, Henrique de Carvalho Air Base, Angola (1971–1975)
   South Africa to 1960
  South African Air Force
  17 Squadron SAAF
  22 Squadron SAAF
  23 Squadron SAAF
  25 Squadron SAAF
  27 Squadron SAAF
  29 Squadron SAAF
  60 Squadron SAAF
   United Kingdom
  Royal Air Force
  No. 13 Squadron RAF (Coastal Command)
  No. 21 Squadron RAF
  No. 299 Squadron RAF
  No. 500 Squadron RAF
  No. 519 Squadron RAF (Coastal Command)
  No. 521 Squadron RAF (Coastal Command)
  No. 624 Squadron RAF
  No. 34 OTU, RAF, operated from Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick
  Air Headquarters Iraq Communication Flight
  Royal Navy 1 aircraft for evaluation only
   United States
  United States Marine Corps
  VMF(N)-531
  United States Navy
  VB/VPB-125 — (PV-1) September 1942 – June 1945
  VB/VPB-126 — (PV-1) March 1943 – June 1945
  VB/VPB-127 — (PV-1) March 1943 – July 1945
  VB/VPB-128, VP-ML-1 — (PV-1) February 1943 – November 1946, (PV-2) November 1946 – September 1947
  VB/VPB-129 — (PV-1) April 1943 – June 1945
  VB/VPB-130, VP-ML-2 — (PV-1) March 1943 – May 1945, (PV-2) August 1945 – March 1947
  VB/VPB-131 — (PV-1) March 1943 – August 1945, (PV-2) September 1945 – April 1946.
  VB/VPB-132 — (PV-1) March 1943 – May 1945
  VB/VPB-133 — (PV-1) March 1943 – 1946, (PV-2) 1946
  VPB-134VB/VPB-134 — (PV-1) April 1943 – April 1945
  VB/VPB-135, VP-ML-5 — (PV-1) February 1943 – June 1945, (PV-2) June 1945 – June 1948
  VB/VPB-136 — (PV-1) June 1943 – March 1945, (PV-2) May 1945 – 1946
  VB/VPB-137 — (PV-1) March 1943 – July 1945
  VB/VPB-138 — (PV-1) March 1943 – November 1944
  VB/VPB-139 — (PV-1) May 1943 – June 1944, (PV-2) August 1944 – September 1945
  VB/VPB-140 — (PV-1) April 1943 – May 1944
  VB/VPB-141 — (PV-1) July 1943 – April 1945, (PV-2) April 1945 – June 1945
  VB/VPB-142 — (PV-1) June 1943 – January 1945, (PV-2) January 1945 – May 1946
  VB/VPB-143 — (PV-1) June 1943 – 1945
  VB/VPB-144 — (PV-1) July 1943 – September 1944, (PV-2) November 1944 – May 1946
  VB/VPB-145 — (PV-1) July 1943 – June 1945
  VB/VPB/VP-146, VP-ML-6 — (PV-1) July 1943 – February 1945, (PV-2) April 1945 – February 1948
  VB/VPB-147 — (PV-1) August 1943 –May 1945, (PV-2) April 1945 – July 1945
  VB/VPB-148 — (PV-1) October 1943 – April 1945, (PV-2) June 1945 – June 1946
  VB/VPB-149 — (PV-1) September 1943 – September 1945
  VB/VPB-150 — (PV-1) November 1943 – March 1945, (PV-2) May 1945 – July 1945
  VB/VPB-151 — (PV-1) January 1944 – June 1945
  VB/VPB-152 — (PV-1) April 1944 – June 1946
  VB/VPB-153 — (PV-1) April 1944 – October 1945, (PV-2) November 1945 – June 1946
  VB/VPB-200
  VD-2
caption: A USMC PV-1 night fighter from VMF(N)-531 in the Solomons, 1943.
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