RAF/RCAF/RNZAF/RAAF use of PV-1 Venturas for photo reconnaissance?

[Hamsterman]

Hi all,

 

Sorry for continuing to bombard you all with questions about photo reconnaissance aircraft but it's a passion of mine and I'm planning a few up-coming builds.  Do any of you know whether the RAF/RCAF/RNZAF/RAAF used the PV-1 Ventura for photo reconnaissance missions?  I've been trying to figure out how the cameras were arranged in the A-29/B-34/PV-1 family.  The closest I've come so far are some written accounts by VB-135 in the Aleutians describing how two of their PV-1 were outfitted for PR missions over the Japanese Kurile Islands.  Essentially, five cameras were mounted in hard points, four of them were operated automatically. Three stationary F-56 cameras, one for vertical and two for oblique photography, were installed in lower gun position resembling the Tri-metrogon setup of B-24s, F-7As and B-25s.  Another F-56 camera was placed in a bracket by the porthole on the starboard of the aircraft and was manually operated.  A massive K-17 camera mounted in the bow of the aircraft was used for high resolution vertical pictures. The other two cameras were portable K-20’s kept in the cockpit for accidental photos. Those two planes, while fully rigged, had an extra crew member on board in charge of the photo equipment.  Initially the set up was a single K-19 camera in the nose for the night recon which was replaced with an F-56s once the squadron switched to the day missions.  I still haven't seen pictures of this set up but suppose I could guess and make something look right.   Just curious if the RAF/RCAF/RNZAF/RAAF used a similar set up and if photos exist of those planes.  Could make for an interesting build.  Thanks.

 

Cheers!

Chris

 

[Michael louey]

Hi Chris,

 

I've never heard of the RAAF ever using the Venturas as dedicated Photo Reconnaissance aircraft - They only served with 13 Squadron RAAF which was a Maritime Patrol.

 

Obviously they would have been used in a Recon role - e.g.

 

A59-71

Served with 13 Sqn.
31/12/44, Flown by Wg Cdr Keenan, operated the first armed reconnaissance over Ambon by a Ventura.

 

Not sure what if any specialised camera equipment they would have used. The entry for the Ventura in ADF serials is here:

http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a59.htm

 

Good luck with your research

 

Michael

[tonyot]

The RAF and also RAAF/ SAAF under RAF Command in the Med used the Ventura GR.V (PV-1) for maritime recce and Strike and part of this was carrying out armed recce missions over ports in the Greek Islands and for these hand held cameras were used, from the side windows, bomb aimers position and lower gunners position,........ turret gunners were also issued with small civilian cameras too. 

Cheers

         Tony

[Ed Russell]

A page on the AWM  site specifically includes photography as one of 13 Sqn's tasks

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U59378

but I would imagine their Venturas has a similar set-up to what Tony describes above.

[LDSModeller]

Hi Chris,

 

The RNZAF had the PV-1 flying with BR (Bomber Reconnaissance) and GR (General Reconnaissance)

Squadrons in the SW Pacific. I posted your query on RNZAF Proboards, and below are the answers

thus far - Please note Dave Homewood is ex RNZAF and our Expert on SW Pacific BR/GR Squadrons

and DavidD our RNZAF Museum Expert

 

RNZAF PV-1 Reconnaissance

 

Regards

 

Alan

[Hamsterman]

Thanks for all the input!  This is fantastic information. 

 

Ed, I'll look into 13 Sqn more specifically.  Based on some of the comments from the RNZAF Proboard, 13 Sqn might be my best lead.

 

Alan, thanks for posting my question on the RNZAF Proboard.  That picture posted by Dave looks similar to what I imagine the bracket used to mount the K.56 camera on the port side porthole window might have looked like.  I wonder what Dave meant when he describes the, "...two ports for the obliques in the rear fuselage, port and starboard...", on PV-1s.  I only recall the round porthole window on the port side.  There is a rectangular window on the starboard side.  Maybe that was used.

 

Michael, thanks for the link to the ADF-serials page.  I'm sure that will come in handy.

 

Tony, thanks for reminding me about the SAAF.  Not sure how I forgot about them but I did mean to include them in the original post.  I'll see if I can find anything more about their PV-1 use in the Med.

 

Cheers!