The Navy has quietly fired or removed several top officers in recent months but broke with its usual practice of announcing those changes, drawing pushback from Congress.

Two Democratic lawmakers said Thursday that the Navy failed to inform Congress that it fired the entire leadership team of a nuclear-powered attack submarine last month after an underwater collision.

Separately, the sea service in September fired the commander of a destroyer deployed to the Middle East, according to a defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive personnel matters.