▁October , ▁the ▁M TB ▁tender ▁set ▁up ▁shop ▁providing ▁support ▁services ▁for ▁the ▁P T ' s ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁assigned ▁the ▁task ▁of ▁pat rolling ▁the ▁large ▁fleet ▁anch orage ▁there . ▁In ▁addition , ▁the ▁" Peter ▁T ares " ▁( PT ' s ) ▁were ▁to ▁pat rol ▁and ▁block ade ▁the ▁Japanese - h eld ▁island ▁of ▁B abel th u ap ▁and ▁other ▁small ▁islands ▁of ▁the ▁group . ▁ ▁Var una ▁received ▁a ▁" flash ▁red " ▁alert ▁on ▁the ▁ 3 0 th ▁at ▁ 0 8 5 5 ; ▁and , ▁while ▁other ▁ships ▁got ▁under way , ▁she ▁received ▁orders ▁to ▁remain ▁at ▁anchor ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁communication ▁link ▁for ▁screen ing ▁vessels ▁and ▁the ▁P T ' s ▁and ▁to ▁render ▁assistance ▁as ▁necessary . ▁At ▁ 1 2 2 0 , ▁the ▁ship ▁picked ▁up ▁a ▁single ▁tw in - eng ined ▁M its ub ishi ▁Ki - 2 1 ▁" S ally " ▁coming ▁in ▁low ▁and ▁fast . ▁It ▁dropped ▁one ▁bomb ▁near ▁a ▁floating ▁dry d ock ▁and ▁ro ared ▁on ▁towards ▁the ▁anch ored ▁M TB ▁tender . ▁Var una ▁opened ▁fire ▁with ▁ 3 - inch , ▁ 4 0 - mill imeter , ▁and ▁ 2 0 - mill imeter ▁guns , ▁rep elling ▁the ▁attack ▁by ▁en velop ing ▁the ▁plane ▁in ▁trac er ▁fire ▁and ▁causing ▁the ▁attack er ▁to ▁ve er ▁off ▁in ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁B abel th u ap .