The tug was commandeered by
United States Navy and assigned to the
16th Naval District on 13 December 1941 under command of Lt. (jg.) Trose E. Donaldson, USNR as the
war came to the Philippines. Although not formally commissioned by the U.S. Navy, she served as a patrol boat tender in
Manila Bay with the Base Section of the Navy's Inshore Patrol.
Trabajador, assisted by the , dumped unused mines into
Manila Bay as
Corregidor came under air attack on 29 December 1941 and continued the operation through the next day. With the move of
Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three to
Sisiman Bay on the
Bataan Peninsula the tug became tender to the
PT boat squadron. For a brief time she was the "luxury" vessel for the PTs with a real galley, wardroom and a mess boy who baked pies. After the squadron had left with
General MacArthur as a passenger thirty-two men were left behind including Lt. (jg.) Edward G. DeLong who assumed command of
Trabajador on 25 February 1942. DeLong left Corregidor on 2 May and made it to
Mindanao where he was later captured and executed in prison camp.
Trabajador was sunk on 10 April 1942, most likely by Japanese artillery near
Corregidor, and was awarded a
battle star. ==
Resolute==