Royal Navy warship came within a ‘hair’s breadth’ of crashing into a huge oil tanker after an untrained officer was left in charge and failed to spot it – as lieutenant who tried to cover up the near-disaster is fined and slammed by a judge

A Royal Navy warship came within a ‘hair’s breadth’ of crashing into a huge oil tanker after an untrained officer was left in charge and failed to spot it – as the lieutenant who put her there tried to cover up the near-disaster. 

Lieutenant Euan Playford-Johnston left an inexperienced colleague on HMS Penzance to navigate so he could concentrate on other work while in a busy shipping lane in Scottish waters at night.

As a result, the minesweeper nearly collided with a 472ft, 12,000 tonne ship in the Firth of Clyde after unwittingly turning into its path, a military court was told.

The board was told that the second officer altered HMS Penzance’s course to avoid a tugboat but in doing so had unwittingly set course for the path of the oil tanker, the Sten Baltic.

Fortunately the captain of the tanker saw the warship and took action to avoid a collision – the consequences of which ‘would have been unthinkable’.

HMS Penzance (pictured) nearly collided with a 472ft, 12,000 tonne ship in the Firth of Clyde after unwittingly turning into its path, the military court was told.

The board was told that the second officer altered HMS Penzance’s course to avoid a tugboat but in doing so had unwittingly set course for the path of the oil tanker, the Sten Baltic (pictured)

Lt Playford-Johnston, 30, had been ‘fatigued’ after a long day on the bridge and decided to carry out other work, leaving an ‘untrained’ junior officer in charge of navigation, the court martial heard. 

He subsequently tried to cover up his actions by not reporting it to the ship’s captain – a serious breach of Navy rules.

Now the Navy officer has been slammed by a judge and given a severe reprimand, lost his seniority, and fined £3,600 after admitting negligently hazarding a ship and two counts of breaching standing orders.

Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire heard that the near-miss happened around 9.20pm in the Firth of Clyde, a busy shipping route in Scotland, on April 17 last year.

At the time Lt Playford-Johnston was first officer of the watch on the minesweeper which was based at Faslane – home of Britain’s nuclear deterrent – at the time.

He had been on the bridge for around eight hours at the time, following a day of exercises.

‘Lt Playford-Johnston had control of the ship and was in charge’, prosecutor Lt Cdr Edward Hannah told the court.

The purpose of the sailing at night was to give the second officer of the watch, a junior officer, navigation training.

It was heard Lt Playford-Johnston went to the side of the bridge to carry out some work but intended to ‘keep an eye’ on the second officer of the watch.

‘Neither Lt Playford-Johnston or the second officer – or the other two on the bridge – noticed the Sten Baltic’, Lt Cdr Hannah said.

Fortunately, the captain of the Sten Baltic had seen HMS Penzance and reduced his ship’s speed. The captain also had to hail HMS Penzance, telling it to speed up.

It was only then that HMS Penzance noticed that it was heading into the Sten Baltic’s path and Lt Playford-Johnston took control of the ship.

There was 400 yards between the two ships at the closest point of contact, Lt Cdr Hannah said.

‘In evidence to the police, the pilot [of the Sten Baltic] said had he not slowed earlier he would have crossed much closer’, Lt Cdr Hannah said.

Lt Cdr Hannah said not only did Lt Playford-Johnston not report the tugboat’s presence like he should have done, he also did not report the near-miss to his captain.

Lt Cdr Hannah added: ‘This is a safety critical duty. The defendant was aware of his duty, HMP Penzance was operating at night in busy shipping waters.

‘Once the defendant was aware of the consequences, he did not call the Commanding Officer to remedy it.

‘His negligence placed the ship at risk of harm.’

Lt Cdr James Babington, defending, said: ‘This man is not attempting to make excuses, he entirely accepts he was not performing his duty to the standards he should have.

‘He put the ship at risk of harm and is deeply remorseful.’

Lt Cdr Babington said April 17 was the first time the ship had been at sea for two months and that Lt Playford-Johnston was under ‘great pressure’.

He said Lt Playford-Johnston had been involved in tiring exercises on the ship all day and at the time of the incident was trying to juggle too much.

Lt Cdr Babington said: ‘Fatigue was certainly a part but I would say it was not just fatigue… He was trying to keep a visual lookout, training a colleague, and doing work for the next day.

‘He simply failed to prioritise. It was a capacity issue.’

Lt Playford-Johnston was given glowing testimonials by high-ranking Navy officers including the Captain of HMS Penzance, Lt Cdr Timothy Castrinoyannakis.

The Navy officer has been given a severe reprimand, lost his seniority, and fined £3,600 after admitting negligently hazarding a ship and two counts of breaching standing orders

Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire (pictured) heard that the near-miss happened around 9.20pm in the Firth of Clyde, a busy shipping route in Scotland, on April 17 last year

Lt Cdr Castrinoyannakis said it was ‘clear this was not drawn out of malicious negligence’ but was due to ‘a series of shortfalls and errors brought on by systemic pressures where risk of collision can happen’.

The Navy officer added that Lt Playford-Johnston has made a ‘Herculean’ effort to redeem himself since and has ‘sea command potential’.

Sentencing, Assistant Judge Advocate John Atwill said the Lieutenant narrowly escaped being jailed.

Judge Atwill said: ‘You set a poor example to that officer, both in the way you failed to support or supervise him and by telling him you were not going to report [the incidents].

‘Your judgement with him in your pupillage was very poor.

‘The fundamental duty of the officer of the watch is to maintain the lookout of the ship.

‘You chose to prioritise other work over the safety of the ship, leaving her safety in the hands of an untrained and unsupervised officer.

‘That you did so at all is regrettable, that you did so in a busy shipping lane at night is unforgivable.

‘That hazard almost paid out. There was a real risk of a collision. The consequences would have been unthinkable.’

The judge added: ‘Your actions on that day brought that ship within a hair’s breadth of disaster and your career within a hair’s breadth of ending.

‘It brought you within a hair’s breadth of prison.’

Lt Playford-Johnston is now based on HMS Mersey.

HMS Penzance was also involved in a collision in 2021 with HMS Chiddingfold when it was being docked in a naval base in Bahrain. 

HMS Chiddingfold was being docked by Lieutenant Commander Simon Reeves when it twice struck HMS Penzance causing damage to its plastic hull.

According to the Royal Navy, the incident on March 16, 2021 was caused by ‘wind, tide and equipment failure’.