The USS Hoga (YT-146) was a Wotan-class yard tugboat that earned legendary status for its heroic actions during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Commissioned just months earlier, the 100-foot commercial-style tugboat was immediately thrust into the chaos of the assault. Under the command of Chief Boatswain's Mate Joseph McManus, Hoga braved intense enemy fire and falling debris to pull the repair ship USS Vestal away from the burning battleship USS Arizona. The tug's crew then spent hours fighting devastating fires aboard the USS Maryland and USS Tennessee, and most notably, helped push the critically damaged battleship USS Nevada aground at Hospital Point, preventing the massive ship from sinking and blocking the vital harbor channel.
Following World War II, Hoga was transferred to the Oakland Fire Department in California, where she served faithfully for nearly five decades as the firefighting boat City of Oakland. Recognized for her extraordinary wartime service and architectural integrity, she was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989. After being decommissioned from city service and spending time in the active reserve fleet, the historic vessel found a permanent home at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Today, Hoga stands as one of the remarkably few surviving vessels from the Pearl Harbor attack, serving as a floating museum and a tangible testament to the bravery of the sailors who fought to save the Pacific Fleet.
