In early 1942, the U.S. Navy recognized the increasing vulnerability of its sea-plane patrol planes to enemy fighters. As a result, the Navy chose several land-based Army bombers to supplement its fleet of patrol aircraft. Among the planes chosen was the Lockheed Ventura. Originally derived from the Model 18 airliner for the Royal Air Force, the Ventura had been adopted by the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1941. An improved version with longer wings, larger engines, and a greater range came to be called the PV-2 Harpoon in Navy service. The Harpoon began serving with Navy patrol squadrons in 1944, most spending the last year of the war in the Pacific. After the war the Harpoons served with several Naval Reserve wings for about eight more years.
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