USS Algonquin, completed as El Toro in 1891 for the Southern Pacific Railroad's Morgan Line, was a small harbor tug commissioned by the United States Navy 2 April 1898. Renamed Accomac, after Accomac, Virginia, June 1898, renamed Nottoway in 1918 and, after the Navy adopted alphanumeric hull numbers on 17 July 1920, classified as YT-18, a district tug. On 5 October 1942 the name was cancelled and the tug was simply YT-18 until 1944 when classification was changed to YTL-18, a little harbor tug. Over the years as a Navy tug, from 1898 to 1946, the tug served from Cuba to Boston.
An auxiliary ship is a naval ship designed to support combatant ships and other naval operations. Auxiliary ships are not primary combatant vessels, though they may have some limited combat capacity, usually for purposes of self-defense.
Hoga (YT-146/YTB-146/YTM-146) is 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 Oakland, California.
Arthur Foss, built in 1889 as Wallowa at Portland, Oregon, is likely the oldest wooden tugboat afloat in the world. Its 79-year commercial service life began with towing sailing ships over the Columbia River bar, and ended with hauling bundled log rafts on the Strait of Juan de Fuca in 1968. Northwest Seaport now preserves the tug as a museum ship in Seattle, Washington.
USS Navajo (AT-64) was an oceangoing tugboat in the United States Navy, and the lead ship of its class. It was named for the Navajo people. Originally called the Navajo-class of fleet tugs, it was later renamed the Cherokee-class after loss of the first two ships of the class.
USS Challenge (SP-1015/AT-59/YT-126/YTM-126) was a commercial tugboat acquired by the United States Navy for service in World War I, and remained available for duty during World War II.
USS Alloway (YT-170/YTM-170) was an Alloway-class tugboat acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of providing yard tugboat services during World War II, when U.S. ports were often congested with ships arriving and departing.
USS Mohave (AT-15) was a Arapaho-class fleet tug of the United States Navy. The unnamed steel-hulled Fleet Tug No.15 was laid down on 16 December 1913 by the Seattle Construction and Drydock Company. She was named Mohave in accordance with General Order No. 97 of 9 May 1914, for the Yuman tribe on the Colorado River in Arizona, California, and Nevada. Launched on 20 June 1914; and placed in service at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, on 2 December 1914.
USS Nokomis (YT-142/YTB-142/YTM-142) was a Woban-class harbor tug built in Bremerton, Wash, and assigned to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1940. Nokomis was present during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941. She was the first vessel on scene at the USS Arizona, and was called off by the officers on deck because of the imminent explosion of the battery below deck. It then left and helped beach the USS Nevada, with Hoga (YT-146), and YT-153. The beaching of the Nevada saved Pearl Harbor's mouth from being blocked. After that the USS Nokomis fought fires and dewatered the battleship USS California, for 3 days. This effort made the California salvageable, to be recommissioned again later in the war. Nokomis was also the last vessel to move the surviving YC-699 barge prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Post-war she continued serving Pearl Harbor ships until she was decommissioned in May 1973, and eventually sold for "scrap" to Crowley, in San Francisco. She was renamed Sea Serpent and served many years in the San Francisco Bay as a tug and fire boat. In 1989, after the Loma Prieta earthquake in the SF Bay area, Nokomis and Hoga fought fires alongside each other again.
USS Arapaho (AT-14/YT-121) was an Arapaho-class fleet tug that performed various tugboat services for the United States Navy. She was constructed in Seattle, Washington; however, she spent most of her working career on the U.S. East Coast, primarily at Norfolk, Virginia, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The second USS Wando, later YT-17, later YT-123, later YTB-123, was a United States Navy tug in commission from 1917 to 1946.
The first USS Tillamook, later AT-16, later YT-122, later YTM-122, was a United States Navy tug in service from 1914 to 1947.
USS Ala (YT-139) was a United States Navy yard tug laid down on 23 September 1939 at Bremerton, Washington, by the Puget Sound Navy Yard; launched on 6 November 1939; and completed on 11 March 1940.
The second USS Vigilant (YT-25) was a United States Navy tug commissioned in 1898 and stricken in 1927. The vessel was constructed in 1881 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as George W. Pride and began service in San Francisco, California the same year. With the onset of the Spanish–American War, the tugboat was acquired by the United States Navy in April 1898 and remained in service until 1927.
USS Dreadnaught (ID-1951), later YT-534 and YNG-21, was a United States Navy tug that was in service from 1918 to 1944.
USS Wingina (YTB-395) is a tugboat that was laid down as District Harbor Tug YT-395. She was re-classified while still under construction as District Harbor Tug, Large YTB-395. After her commissioning, she served in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1980.
Admiralty tugs were tugboats built for and operated by the Royal Navy. These were vessels built to Admiralty specifications and in specific classes during the First and Second World Wars. They were built to meet the Royal Navy's demand for auxiliary vessels and to supplement the civilian tugs requisitioned by the Admiralty for war service.
The Type V ship is a United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) designation for World War II tugboats. Type V was used in World War II, Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Type V ships were used to move ships and barges. Type V tugboats were made of either steel or wood hulls. There were four types of tugboats ordered for World War II. The largest type V design was the sea worthy 186-foot (57 m) long steel hull, V4-M-A1. The V4-M-A1 design was used by a number of manufacturers; a total of 49 were built. A smaller steel hull tugboat was the 94-foot (29 m) V2-ME-A1; 26 were built. The largest wooden hull was the 148-foot (45 m) V3-S-AH2, of which 14 were built. The smaller wooden hull was the 58-foot (18 m) V2-M-AL1, which 35 were built. Most V2-M-AL1 tugboats were sent to the United Kingdom for the war efforts under the lend-lease act. The Type V tugs served across the globe during World War II including: Pacific War, European theatre, and in the United States. SS Farallon, and other Type V tugs, were used to help built Normandy ports, including Mulberry harbour, on D-Day, 6 June 1944, and made nine round trips to Normandy to deliver Phoenix breakwaters.
The YT-46-class harbor tugboat was a wood-hulled tugboat design ordered by the U.S. Navy in May and June 1918 during World War I. 40 ships of the type were launched and completed at 13 shipyards: the Charleston Navy Yard; the New Orleans Naval Yard; the Clayton Ship & Boat Building Company, Clayton, New York; the Eastern Shipyard Company, Greenport, New York; the Eastern Shore Shipbuilding Company, Sharpstown, Maryland; the Greenport Basin and Construction Company, Greenport, New York; the Hiltebrant Dry Dock Company, Kingston, New York; Robert Jacob Shipyard, City Island, New York; the Luders Marine Construction Company, Stamford, Connecticut; the Mathis Yacht Building Company, Camden, New Jersey; the New York Yacht, Launch & Engine Company, Bronx, New York; the Vinyard Shipbuilding Company, Milford, Delaware; and the Wheeler Shipyard Corporation, Brooklyn, New York. In 1920, at the Navy's adoption of alpha-numeric hull designations, the ships were classified as yard tugs YT-46 though YT-85.
The YT-86-class harbor tugboat was a wood-hulled tugboat design ordered by the U.S. Navy during World War I. 15 ships of the type were launched and completed, 12 as harbor tugs and three as ambulance boats. All were launched at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California except for one at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawaii. In 1920, after the Navy's adoption of alpha-numeric hull designations, the ships were classified as yard tugs YT-86 though YT-90 and YT-92 through YT-99 and ambulance boats YH-1, YH-2, and YH-3.
United States Navy