 During the Japanese occupation of Lae, barges from Voco Point would unload to resupply Japanese submarines from Rabaul.Barges included the LSTs MK3 of the RAN.On 18 March, two spotters from the 23rd Heavy Wireless Section watched 12 barges emerge from their Labu swamp hideout to Voco Point to meet a submarine, which was then bombed by the USAAF.