When the Services Reconnaissance Department's (SRD) naval section was established in January 1944 it was equipped with only two vessels to transport special forces parties and their supplies behind Japanese lines.

In order to make up this deficiency four trawler-type ships which were being built at Williamstown, Victoria for the Australian Army were transferred to SRD on 26 March 1944.

On 26 April 1945 a party of nine were deployed from HMAS Black Snake off the west coast of Maloe Island using folboats.

On 16 May 1945 during Operation Swift, a folboat party from HMAS Black Snake went to Loloda Island in the Celebes to gather general intelligence.

On 13–23 August 1945, HMAS Tiger Snake moored at Mukah out of Labuan, Sarawak as part of Operation Semut.