HMS E22

HMS E22 was a British E class submarine built by Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 27 August 1914 and was commissioned on 8 November 1915.

Service history

E22 was involved in experiments in the North Sea to intercept Zeppelins on 24 April 1916. E22 carried two Sopwith Schneider seaplane scouts on her casing. The boat would then submerge in calm waters and the planes would float on the surface. They would then take off and then return to the East coast of England in Felixstowe. The trials were not repeated. E22 was torpedoed by the German U-boat UB-18 off Great Yarmouth in the North Sea on 25 April 1916. There were two survivors, ERA F.S. Buckingham and Signalman William Harrod. The two surviving members were taken prisoner by the German U-Boat and become Prisoners of War.

Design

Like all post-E8 British E-class submarines, E22 had a displacement of 622 tonnes (686 short tons) at the surface and 807 tonnes (890 short tons) while submerged. It had a total length of 180 feet (55 m) and a beam length of 22 feet 8.5 inches (6.922 m). It contained two diesel engines each providing a power of 1,600 horsepower (1,200 kW) and two electric motors each providing 840 horsepower (630 kW) power. Its complement was thirty-one crew members.