[2] The launch was being used as the examination and patrol vessel at Thursday Island when offered to meet a requirement for seaworthy small ships to insert Coastwatchers and gather intelligence for a proposed Allied offensive against Rabaul.

[5] The prewar sea route to the north coast of New Guinea, particularly the Buna area of planned operations, had been closed by the Japanese advance and naval control of open waters leaving only an inshore route described by MacArthur's Chief of Transportation, as "the most dangerous coastline in the world" and essentially uncharted.

[6] In October 1942, all the vessels of the US Army Small Ships Section, largely crewed by Australians, had been ordered to Milne Bay to support the operations against Japanese in the Buna area.

[7] Those small vessels, in their night runs to Oro Bay, had begun noting channels and marking reefs with oil drums.

[10] By early November Paluma had found a route around Cape Nelson when the hydrographic section in the RAN learned of the local effort and lent assistance with surveys by HMAS Warrego, Stella and Polaris assisting, establishing safe passage for large ships from Milne Bay to Cape Nelson while Paluma worked the route forward to Oro Bay so that by 11 December 1942 the US Army controlled Dutch vessel Karsik was able to deliver tanks to the front.