Chuck Litchfield News

Navy investigation reports chaos on bridge of USS Essex last spring, leading to collision with oiler Yukon. The Essex skipper’s failure to properly lead his junior bridge watch team caused what could have been an “avoidable” collision, according to the report obtained by Navy Times through a Freedom of Information Act request. The findings shed new light on the May 16 collision off the coast of California, a day before Essex returned to San Diego. For his role in the collision, Capt. Charles E. “Chuck” Litchfield was fired June 18 by Rear Adm.

"Essex departed San Diego in 2000, to serve as a forward-deployed asset to 7th Fleet," said Capt. Chuck Litchfield, USS Essex commanding officer. Essex was the second ship to serve as part of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces having taken over those duties from USS Belleau Wood (LHA 3). The crew of USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) took over Essex April 23. "John Paul Jones, the captain of the original Bonhomme Richard, said, 'Men mean more than guns in the rating of a ship,'" said Litchfield. "In the last two years, I have been humbled to witness that truth in my crew.