Research Needed - Venturas near Howland?

[Ric Gillespie]

We are confident that the current Nauticos "Eustace Earhart Discovery Expedition" will not find NR16020, but there may be other twin-engine, twin-tailed Lockheeds on the ocean bottom in the general Howland vicinity that could fool them into thinking they have. In September 1943, as part of the run-up to Operation Galvanic (the invasion of Tarawa), an Army Air force engineer battalion began construction of an airfield on Baker Island to act as a staging area for bombing raids on Tarawa by B-24s based on Canton Island.  "Air cover for the Baker occupation was furnished by Navy Venturas from Canton Island..." (The Army Air Force in World War II, edited by Graves & Gate).
What more can we learn about Venturas operating in the Howland area?

[Albert Durrell]

http://ww2db.com/aircraft_spec.php?aircraft_model_id=345

History in WW II, but no mention of aircraft lost.

[Albert Durrell]

http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/pv-1/

Listing of wrecks in Pacific.

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

I have tried to keep tabs on "Aircraft lost in the vicinity of Niku."

It grew out of a list you posted on the Forum back in 2001, Ric.

Augmented with footnotes and links to sources.

I presume some of the sources would have info about wrecks in the proposed search area.

[Ric Gillespie]

Thank you gentlemen.  So far it looks like no known Ventura losses anywhere near Howland.