Commanding Officer of behemoth USS Harry S Truman sacked after carrier crashes into merchant ship near Egypt

Captain Dave Snowden will no longer be in charge of the USS Harry S Truman. The 1,092 ft long warship slammed into the Panamanian-flagged vessel Besiktas-M close to Port Said, Egypt, on February 12.

The US Navy said in a statement Capt Snowden was relieved yesterday “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command”. The force added: “The U.S. Navy holds commanding officers to the highest standard and takes action to hold them accountable when those standards are not met. Naval leaders are entrusted with significant responsibilities to their Sailors and their ships.

“Capt. Christopher Hill, commanding officer of USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), will temporarily serve as Harry S. Truman’s interim commanding officer.” They added: “There is no impact to Harry S. Truman’s mission or schedule due to the relief. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is currently deployed to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.”

No crew members were injured in the collision, with the carrier suffering no instances of flooding. Despite key components being unaffected, damage was caused to both vessels. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash.

The area where the collision took place was densely populated with ships. Besiktas-M, a 617ft long bulk carrier, exited the Suez Canal and was heading to Romania. USS Harry S Truman, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, was sailing towards the canal.

USS Harry S Truman connection to Portsmouth and the Royal Navy

USS Harry S Truman trained alongside the Royal Navy flagship, HMS Prince of Wales, alongside the UK Carrier Strike Group as part of Exercise Steadfast Defender in October last year. British sailors were preparing for their deployment to the Indo-Pacific region this Spring.

The US Navy reported on Facebook that their carrier was involved to enhance its combined force interoperability with Nato allies. The carrier, which weighs over 100,000 tonnes, also visited Portsmouth in 2018 and was spotted on the south coast near Gosport. Her crew spent five days indulging in British culture, with the ship’s then Commanding Officer, Captain Nick Dienna, praising the city for its hospitality.