USS Varuna ( AGP - 5 ) USS " Varuna " ( AGP - 5 ) was a " Portunus " - class motor torpedo boat tender of the United States Navy during World War II . The ship was laid down on 23 August 1942 by the Dravo Corporation at Neville Island , Pennsylvania as the LST - 14 . Launched on 9 December 1942 , sponsored by Mrs . R . J . Mitchell , the ship was renamed " Varuna " and redesignated " AGP - 5 " on 13 January 1943 , and completed as an LST by Dravo Corp . on 26 March 1943 . Placed in reduced commission on that date , she was towed to Tampa , Florida , where she was converted to a motor torpedo boat tender ( AGP ) , and commissioned on 31 August 1943 , Lt . Comdr . L . W . Borst , USNR , in command . Service history . 1943 . Following her shakedown in the Gulf of Mexico , " Varuna " sailed for the Pacific on 4 October and proceeded via Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , to the Panama Canal which she transited on the 22nd . When two days out of Balboa , the ship left the convoy to receive an emergency appendectomy patient from " LST - 219 " . Following a successful transfer , and while steaming to rejoin the convoy , " Varuna " and " LST - 219 " collided on 27 October . There were no casualties in either ship , but the damage sustained forced both vessels to return to Panama for repairs . Drydocked at Balboa from 9 to 20 November , " Varuna " got underway on 3 December for the Society Islands and arrived at Bora Bora on Christmas Eve . She remained there until the 28th , when she got underway on the second leg of her passage , and arrived at Pago Pago , Samoa , on 2 January 1944 . 1944 . However , " Varuna " did not linger long in Samoan waters , for she pushed toward Suva , Fiji Islands , on 5 January and then proceeded via Nouméa , New Caledonia , and Espiritu Santo , New Hebrides , to the Solomon Islands . She reached Lunga Point , Guadalcanal , on the 11th and then moved to Tulagi where she unloaded her cargo of motor torpedo boat ( MTB ) base equipment . Calling at Rendova Harbor , Rendova Island , and later at Blanche Harbor , Treasury Islands , " Varuna " conducted her first repair job on 17 February , when she repaired " PT - 105 " . She remained at the Blanche Harbor base through the remainder of the month of February — repairing an average of four PT - boat s per day — before she shifted her operations to Nissan Harbor , Green Island . Establishing the PT - boat base at Green Island , " Varuna " was now situated at the base perhaps nearest to Japanese territory . Located half - way between New Ireland and Bougainville — both occupied by the Japanese and both well north of the nearest Allied bases — Green Island served as a staging area for the five MTB squadrons attached to " Varuna " . These PT ' s were earmarked to harass the Japanese seaborne supply lane from New Britain , New Ireland , and the Shortland Islands , and to assist in the blockade of Rabaul . The ship ' s historian later recorded that it was while at Green Island that " Tokyo Rose " first mentioned " Varuna " . The vessel had been cut off from vital supplies while at Green Island and had been unable to get any more — or so said " Rose " . Several days later , as the historian recounted , a PC came alongside to offer " Varuna " a share of her own meager stores . " The " Varuna " declined with thanks " , the historian wrote , saying that " she had plenty of everything . " " Varuna " operated out of Green Island until 31 July , when she returned to the Treasury Islands for a 20 - day stay . Returning to Green , she loaded men and equipment of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron ( MTBRon ) 27 , and departed her estwhile base on the 24th , reaching Manus in the Admiralties two days later . Although initially slated to stage from there , a change of plan routed " Varuna " and her PT boats to Mios Woendi on the northern tip of New Guinea . Departing Manus on 7 September , the MTB tender and her brood — MTB - Rons 27 and 28 — arrived at Mios Woendi . on the 13th , via Humboldt Bay , New Guinea . For the next 17 days , " Varuna " took on stores , fuel , water , and gasoline in preparation for her next operations and , in company with MTBRon 27 , departed for the Palaus . Arriving in Kossol Roads on 1 October , the MTB tender set up shop providing support services for the PT ' s which had been assigned the task of patrolling the large fleet anchorage there . In addition , the " Peter Tares " ( PT ' s ) were to patrol and blockade the Japanese - held island of Babelthuap and other small islands of the group . " Varuna " received a " flash red " alert on the 30th at 0855 ; and , while other ships got underway , she received orders to remain at anchor to act as communication link for screening vessels and the PT ' s and to render assistance as necessary . At 1220 , the ship picked up a single twin - engined Mitsubishi Ki - 21 " Sally " coming in low and fast . It dropped one bomb near a floating drydock and roared on towards the anchored MTB tender . " Varuna " opened fire with 3 - inch , 40 - millimeter , and 20 - millimeter guns , repelling the attack by enveloping the plane in tracer fire and causing the attacker to veer off in the direction of Babelthuap . 1945 . " Varuna " remained at Kossol Roads until the day after Christmas 1944 , when she sailed for San Pedro Bay , Leyte , arriving on 29 December . She remained in the bay until 25 January 1945 , tending the boats from MTBRon 27 and repairing boats from other squadrons engaged in the local operations against the Japanese . In addition , towards the end of this period , " Varuna " staged for the invasion of Olongapo and Subic Bay on the island of Luzon . She served in this support role in the capture of the Olongapo region , tending and repairing " Peter Tares " . As American forces began their march to recapture Manila and the Bataan Peninsula , " Varuna " s boats blockaded the Bataan shoreline , serving a dual purpose in keeping reinforcements from coming in and those trapped Japanese from getting out ; blockading Corregidor and Fort Drum in Manila Bay ; and patrolling the bay . This action continued until late in April , with " Varuna " remaining in Subic Bay until 5 May . Following a period of repairs which included a dry - docking , the MTB tender anchored off Samar to prepare for the impending strike against the Japanese - held island of Borneo . Departing Samar on 23 June , " Varuna " steamed singly for Tawi Tawi in the Sulu Archipelago , arriving on 26 June . She spent the following day fueling and making repairs to boats from MTBRons 10 and 27 before getting underway on the 28th . Arriving off Balikpapan on 1 July , " Varuna " found that rough seas in Makassar Strait made docking of the PT ' s to be almost impossible . Allied forces meanwhile rapidly secured a beachhead , forcing the Japanese defenders into the hinterlands , and minesweeping operations cleared a channel to the inner harbor of Balikpapan . There , " Varuna " again set up shop to tend her group of torpedo boats . Up to this point , the Japanese had made little resistance from the air ; but , late in July , the enemy began nearly continual air attacks for five days running . On one such attack , bombs splashed astern of " Varuna " but far enough away so as to not cause any damage . Her boats , during this period , conducted regular patrols off the Borneo coast and across Makassar Strait to the Celebes . " Varuna " tended her brood , supporting their harassing activities to the enemy until 0237 on 15 August 1945 , when word came to cease offensive action . Two atomic bomb s and increased Allied pressures had forced Japan to accept the unconditional surrender terms of the Potsdam Declaration . " Varuna " subsequently proceeded for Bobon Point , Samar , to assist in the decommissioning of PT boats . Arriving on 10 September , the MTB tender spent the next two months in the Philippines supporting this activity . On 20 November , she sailed for the United States and proceeded — via Guam , Pearl Harbor , and the Panama Canal — to New York City . Decommissioned on 4 January 1946 , " Varuna " was struck from the Navy list on 1 May 1946 and sold to Stavenger Tankrederi for scrap soon thereafter . Awards . " Varuna " received four battle stars for her World War II services .