Vigil and the true story of the ship Antares sunk by a submarine

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There has been controversy surrounding the plot of new BBC drama Vigil, which appears to show a Scottish fishing boat, the Mhairi Finnea, being towed into the depths of the sea after a submarine got caught in its nets.

Viewers have to wait to see if it was HMS Vigil that sank another country’s fishing boat or submarine, presumably Russian.

It was a very powerful part of the opening episode on Sunday night, and it immediately evoked memories of a true tragedy as the Royal Navy’s nuclear-powered submarine HMS Trenchant sank in the Arran Trench off Arran Island in the early hours of 22 November 1990.

Four fishermen died that night. They were skipper and boat owner Jimmy Russell, 33, Stuart Campbell, 29, Billy Martindale, 24, and Dugald John Campbell, 20. Russell, Martindale, and Dugald John Campbell were all from Carradale Village, while Stuart Campbell was from Campbelltown.

Read more: BBC viewers have one major complaint about Martin Compston’s new series

The obvious conclusion for viewers was that Vigil’s starting point was at least partly inspired by the Antarctic tragedy.

A BBC spokesperson denied this, saying: “BBC drama has a rich history of exploring stories in a sensitive and thoughtful way.

“Although Vigil is backed by extensive research, it is a fictional drama and is not inspired by or based on any specific real-life events.”

Oh really? Read and judge for yourselves.

Certainly, some family members of the victims did not see the vigil in this way and were alarmed by the graphic scenes in which the Mahiri Fini was towed, killing its crew. After hearing the boat sink on the sonar, Martin Compston playing Petty Officer Craig Burke, the ship’s captain actually mentioned to his captain, Captain Neil Newsom, who removed it so the vigil could do its job.

No further sinking of Scottish fishing boats by nuclear submarines has been reported, although in 2015 a Northern Irish fishing boat, the Karen, was towed back across the Irish Sea after its nets were disrupted by a Royal Navy submarine.

The submarine was never officially named, indicating that it was a Trident submarine like the Vigil – its locations were never disclosed.

So, what are the facts about the Antar tragedy?

The sinking of the Scorpion has been inquired by the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) and a fatal accident investigation, so that we can confirm the sequence of events.

Antares, a high seas fishing boat, used to fish herring and mackerel. The fish landed at Largs over two days before heading across the Forth of Clyde on the night of November 21.

While fishing near two other boats, the Heroine and Hercules II, Captain Russell decided to head the Trench at exactly the same time as the HMS Trenchant, a Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered hunter-killer submarine, on exercise in the area. An apprentice captain took command as part of the Perisher Course for Prospective Submarine Commanders, famous as one of the most difficult exercises in the Navy. At about 2.20 a.m., the submarine was entangled in the nets of the Antares, the fishing boat was towed, and it sank in 150 meters of water.

Read more: BBC vigil reminds us of the mundane reality of nuclear weapons

Trenchant did not appear at first, and when it did, they found the heroine and Hercules II fishing normally, and the officers on board the Trenchant concluded that there were only two boats and both were fine.

When it was noticed the next morning that Antares was missing, an extensive search and rescue operation began, and the wreck was soon found and then examined by divers.

The bodies of three crew members were found either on or near the boat. The fourth body was caught in a fishing net five months later.

What is the conclusion of the official report?

Sheriff’s Director Robert Hay, in a 57-page report at the end of a fatal accident investigation, fairly and openly blamed Trenchant’s officers and crew.

It was found that the accident was the result of human error, including failure to observe the submarine flag officer’s instructions given in the guidance manual on avoiding fishing vessels.

The submarine did not surface until 33 minutes after impact, for reasons that have not been satisfactorily explained. This delay and delay in reporting the incident may have contributed to the loss of life.

The Maritime Accident Investigation Branch report included a chilling statistic: “There have been a series of accidents involving submarines and fishing vessels over the past few years and prior to this particular incident the record number relating to allied submarines since 1980 was 15.

“One such incident resulted in the sinking of the fishing vessel in question, the Sheralga (which sank in the Irish Sea) in 1982.”

The report concluded that: “The sole cause of the collision was the partial breakdown of the control structure and parameters of the control board aboard the Trenchant.”

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