On the night of September 16/17, 1943 USS PT-136 was making a patrol through the Vitiaz Strait in New Guinea supporting the 7th Australian Division and their landings near Lae. The job of the PTs was to find and destroy enemy barges and other shipping making it as difficult as possible for the Japanese to resupply or move troops. During the patrol PT-136 ran on to an uncharted reef near Malai Island and was stuck fast. With no way to free the boat her commander, Lt. (j.g.) Roger H. Hollowell, USNR, called in some other PT boats and had his crew removed. PT-136 was destroyed by gunfire from PT-142 to avoid capture by the Japanese. Other than the boat, there were no casualties.