Krait & Operation Jaywick

Krait was originally a Japanese fishing vessel based in Singapore named Kofuku Maru. Following the outbreak of war, the ship was taken over by the American destroyer USS Edsall and used to evacuate over 1,100 people from ships sunk along the east coast of Sumatra. The ship eventually reached Australia via Ceylon and India in 1942, and was handed over to the Australian military. In Australian service, she was renamed Krait after the small but deadly snake.

In September 1943, Krait transported members of Z Special Unit to Singapore, where they successfully raided the city's harbour, sinking seven ships, in what became known as Operation Jaywick. She returned to Australia in October. Krait was used by the Australian military throughout the war, and was present at the surrender of the Japanese forces on Ambon in September 1945.

Krait was later used as transport for intelligence-gathering missions to islands in the area, including Buru, Aru, Ceram, Banda, and Saparua. During this period, she carried several Japanese prisoners, army survey teams, and a naval intelligence officer.