HMS P222
HMS "P222" was a third-batch S-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War II. Commissioned in 1942, the boat had an uneventful first war patrol in the Alboran Sea. She intercepted the Vichy French merchant ship SS "Mitidja" in July, then provided protection for an Allied convoy to Malta in Operation Pedestal the next month. The navy intended that she was to be sighted on the surface by enemy aircraft to discourage potential attacks by surface warships. Though "P222" did not encounter enemy forces, the convoy arrived at its destination on 15 August after  sustaining severe losses. She then reconnoitred along the coast of Algeria in advance of Operation Torch, and was attacked by a French patrol ship, but sustained no damage. On 30 November, "P222" departed Gibraltar to patrol off Naples, Italy, but failed to return at Algiers. The claimed to have sunk a submarine with depth charges on 12 December, south-east of Capri. This remains the most probable cause of her loss, although the sinking has never been confirmed. Design and description. The S-class submarines were intended to patrol the restricted waters of the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea . The third batch were slightly enlarged and improved over the preceding second batch of the S class. The submarines had a length of overall, a beam of and a draught of . They displaced on the surface and submerged. The S-class submarines had a crew of 48 officers and ratings. They had a diving depth of . For surface running, the boats were powered by two diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a electric motor. They could reach on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the third-batch boats had a range  of at and at submerged. "P222" was armed with six 21-inch torpedo tubes in the bow. She carried six reload torpedoes for the bow tubes for a grand total of a dozen torpedoes. Twelve mines could be carried in lieu of the torpedoes. The boat was also equipped with a 3-inch (76 mm) deck gun. The third-batch S-class boats were fitted with either a Type 129AR or 138 ASDIC system and a Type 291 or 291W early-warning radar. Construction and career. Ordered on 4 April 1940 as part of the 1940 Naval Programme, "P222" was  laid down on 10 August by Vickers Armstrong at their shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness. She was launched on 20 September 1941. On 2 May 1942, she shifted from the builder's yard to Holy Loch, where she was commissioned two days later. The submarine was lost before a name could be given to her, she is known as "P222", her pennant number. After undergoing training, "P222" arrived at Elderslie on 25 May, then sailed for Kames Bay on 1 June. From 2 to 12 June, she conducted exercises off the Clyde River area, then sailed to Gibraltar along with  , arriving there on 23 June. On 29 and 30 June, she conducted training exercises off Gibraltar with several other British ships. "P222" then departed on 2 July for her first war patrol, in the Alboran Sea. She returned to port on 10 July, having sighted no enemy ships. After additional exercises, she departed Gibraltar again on 18 July with orders to patrol off the west coast of Sardinia. Her orders were changed on 23 July to intercept the Vichy French merchant ship off Cape Palos, Spain. Three days later, "P222" successfully intercepted and boarded her target, which was then escorted  to Gibraltar by . On 28 July, the boat returned to port, ending her second war patrol. "P222" departed Gibraltar on 2 August for a patrol in the Sicilian Channel, with additional orders to provide cover for Operation Pedestal, a British convoy to carry supplies to Malta. On 13 August, along with seven other Royal Navy submarines, she accompanied the convoy on the surface; the intent was that the submarines would be sighted by enemy aircraft and discourage potential attacks from enemy warships. Though the boat did not encounter enemy forces, the convoy operation was a British strategic success, and "P222  returned to Gibraltar on 22 August. After an uneventful patrol from 1 to 19 September, the boat was ordered to conduct reconnaissance along landing beaches east of Oran, in preparation for the Allied landings in North Africa. On 8 November, she was attacked by a Vichy French , which dropped several depth charges but caused no damage. P222" returned to port on 19 November 1942. "P222" left Gibraltar to patrol off Naples on 30 November. She sent a number of messages on 7 December, but after that date no further communication was received. She failed to arrive at Algiers on her  due date and was reported overdue on 21 December. The claimed to have sunk a submarine with depth charges on 12 December, south-east of Capri. This remains the most probable cause of the submarine's loss, but there has been no confirmation. Her wreck was claimed to have been found off Cape Negro, Tunisia, by a Belgian amateur diver, but that has not been confirmed. This last claim can be dismissed as signals to and from the submarine clearly show she was following a route that skirted the coast of southern Sardinia and thus could not have strayed in  Tunisian waters.