▁through ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁the ▁month ▁of ▁February ▁— ▁repair ing ▁an ▁average ▁of ▁four ▁P T - bo ats ▁per ▁day ▁— ▁before ▁she ▁shift ed ▁her ▁operations ▁to ▁N iss an ▁Har bor , ▁Green ▁Island . ▁ ▁Est ab lish ing ▁the ▁P T - bo at ▁base ▁at ▁Green ▁Island , ▁Var una ▁was ▁now ▁situated ▁at ▁the ▁base ▁perhaps ▁nearest ▁to ▁Japanese ▁territory . ▁Loc ated ▁half - way ▁between ▁New ▁Ireland ▁and ▁B oug ain ville ▁— ▁both ▁occupied ▁by ▁the ▁Japanese ▁and ▁both ▁well ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁nearest ▁Al lied ▁bases ▁— ▁Green ▁Island ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁st aging ▁area ▁for ▁the ▁five ▁M TB ▁squad rons ▁attached ▁to ▁Var una . ▁These ▁P T ' s ▁were ▁ear mark ed ▁to ▁har ass ▁the ▁Japanese ▁se abor ne ▁supply ▁l ane ▁from ▁New ▁Britain , ▁New ▁Ireland , ▁and ▁the ▁Short land ▁Islands , ▁and ▁to ▁assist ▁in ▁the ▁block ade ▁of ▁R aba ul . ▁ ▁The ▁ship ' s ▁historian ▁later ▁recorded ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁while ▁at ▁Green ▁Island ▁that ▁" T ok yo ▁Rose " ▁first ▁mentioned ▁Var una . ▁The ▁vessel ▁had ▁been ▁cut ▁off ▁from ▁vital ▁supplies ▁while ▁at ▁Green ▁Island ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁unable ▁to ▁get ▁any ▁more ▁— ▁or ▁so ▁said ▁" R ose ". ▁Several ▁days ▁later , ▁as ▁the ▁historian ▁rec ount ed , ▁a ▁PC ▁came ▁alongside ▁to ▁offer ▁Var una ▁a ▁share ▁of ▁her ▁own ▁me ager ▁stores . ▁" The ▁Var una ▁decl