Name U-222 Yard number 652 Commissioned 23 May 1942 Launched 28 March 1942 Draft 4.74 m | Ordered 15 August 1940 Laid down 16 June 1941 Construction started 16 June 1941 Length 67 m Beam 6.18 m | |
Fate Sunk in a collision, 2 September 1942 Builder Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft | ||
German Submarine U-222 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She was laid down at the F. Krupp Germaniawerft yard in Kiel as yard number 652 on 16 June 1941, launched on 28 March 1942 and commissioned on 23 May under Oberleutnant zur See Ralf von Jessen. She was part of the 8th U-boat Flotilla, a training organization.
She was lost on 2 September 1942 after a collision with U-626 in the Baltic. 42 men died; there were three survivors.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-222 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8-276 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-222 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.