In late November of last year, the guided-missile destroyer, USS Momsen, and the dock-landing ship, USS Harpers Ferry, were moving in opposite directions in San Diego Bay when they came close to colliding. The two ships came within 35 yards of each other but were able to avert disaster through some last-minute maneuvering.

The near collision was captured on San Diego Web Cam and spread across social media. The incident became known as “Warship Chicken.”

Now, the Navy Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) has ordered the cameras that recorded the near collision to be taken down. 

“It might be the San Diego Web Cam today, but if you don’t stand up and call foul, we don’t know what’s it going to be tomorrow,” said Barry Bahrami who runs a group called San Diego Web Cam which provides livestreams across the city.

“Now we have government censorship simply out of spite because we showed something they didn’t like,” said Bahrami.

Running for nearly a decade, Bahrami said his cameras were removed just days after the Navy’s investigation findings were released last month.

Bahrami announced plans to add more cameras to San Diego to replace the two that were removed and said he’s also developing an app that would allow anyone to set up a webcam in the city.

The Navy investigation attributes the mishap to confusion and poor communication on both ships, but does not call for disciplinary action. The investigation report also says that evasive action taken by junior officers enabled the guided-missile destroyer Momsen and the dock landing ship Harpers Ferry to avoid crashing into one another in the narrowest part of the harbor.

The bay is home to more than 50 Navy ships, including two aircraft carriers, making it the largest naval installation on the West Coast and one of the largest in the world.

Warship Chicken in San Diego Bay USS Momsen (DDG-92) & USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49)