Hoga WWII Pearl Harbor Tug – Billing Boats

Hoga WWII Pearl Harbor Tug (WJ1008)

The Hoga was a United States Navy Woban-class district harbor tug named after the Sioux Indian word for fish. After World War II, the tug was known as Port of Oakland and then City of Oakland when she was a fireboat in that city.

Authorized on 18th June 1940, she was built by the Consolidated Shipbuilding Corporation in Morris Heights, New York. Her keel was laid on 25 July 1940. She was launched on the 31st December 1940, and was christened Hoga(YT-146). Placed in service at Norfolk, Virginia on 22 May 1941, Hoga was assigned to the 14th Naval District at Pearl Harbor. She made the trip there by way of the Panama Canal, through San Diego and San Pedro. At Pearl Harbor  she was berthed at the Yard Craft Dock and worked moving cargo lighters and assisting ships in and out of berths. Like other YTs, she carried firefighting equipment.

After only six months in service, the ship was put to a far greater test than had been expected, when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. She fought without break for 48 hours, extinguishing fires, tugging bombed warships and rescuing seamen. Today the Hoga is the only vessel still in existence from the time of the Japanese attack.

Billing Boats kit contains: plans with detailed building instructions in German, English, French, Danish, Italian and Dutch, laser cut wood hull, decks from wood, plastic and wooden parts to finish the model, stern tubes with shafts and propellers. All fittings included (e.g. position lights, anchors, life-belt, etc.) While the instructions are detailed, many builders find them to be hard to read,. We would recommend checking out the manual and diagram prior to purchase. You can view them here and here