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Notable events involving O 22 include:

10 May 1940
HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. A.M. Valkenburg, RNN) departed from her builders yard to escape to England. She proceeds together with sister ship HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) to the Downs. The submarines are escorted by auxiliary patrol vessel HrMs BV 37 (former tug Schelde) (Lt. A.J. Meijer, RNN(R)). (1)

11 May 1940
HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. A.M. Valkenburg, RNN), HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) and their escort HrMs BV 37 (former tug Schelde) (Lt. A.J. Meijer, RNN(R)) arrive in the Downs where they anchor to await further orders. (1)

12 May 1940
Several Dutch ships that escaped from the Netherlands to the Downs proceed to Portsmouth. The ships involved are;
Unfinished light cruiser HrMs Jacob van Heemskerck (Lt.Cdr. A. van Foreest, RNN),
Minesweeper HrMs Jan van Gelder (Lt. P.L.M. van Geen, RNN),
Submarine HrMs O 13 (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Vorster, RNN)
unfinished submarines HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) and HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. A.M. Valkenburg, RNN).

All ships arrived safely in Portsmouth later the same day. (2)

8 Jun 1940
After completing the outfitting of both brand new submarines, HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) and HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) both depart from Portsmouth for Portland.

They arrive at Portland later the same day. At Portland both submarine conduct trials and exercises. (1)

11 Jun 1940
HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) and HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) both conducted exercises off Portland. (1)

12 Jun 1940
HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) and HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) both conducted exercises off Portland. (1)

13 Jun 1940
O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort) was docked at Portland. (2)

15 Jun 1940
O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort) was undocked. (2)

17 Jun 1940
HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) and HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) both depart from Portland for Dundee.

They are escorted by Dutch torpedo boat HrMs Z 5 (Lt.Cdr. W. van Lier, RNN) (1)

22 Jun 1940
HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) and HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) and their escort HrMs Z 5 (Lt.Cdr. W. van Lier, RNN) arrive Dundee. (1)

28 Jun 1940
O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort) conducted exercises off Dundee. (2)

29 Jun 1940
HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) and HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) both depart from Dundee for Rosyth. They arrive at Rosyth later on the same day. (1)

2 Jul 1940
HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) and HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) both conducted exercises off Dundee with HMS White Bear (Capt. R. Gill, RNR). (1)

3 Jul 1940
HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) and HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) both conducted exercises off Dundee with HMS White Bear (Capt. R. Gill, RNR) and HrMs Z 5 (Lt.Cdr. W. van Lier, RNN). (1)

6 Jul 1940
HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) and HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) are both docked in No.2 Dock at the Rosyth Dockyard. (3)

28 Jul 1940
HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) and HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) are both undocked from No.2 Dock at the Rosyth Dockyard. (3)

29 Jul 1940
After being modified at the Rosyth Naval Dockyard HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) and HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) both conduct exercises off Rosyth. (1)

30 Jul 1940
HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) and HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) both depart from Rosyth for their 1st war patrols.

They are to patrol in the North Sea.

It is not possible to display a map for O 22. The patrol report holds no daily positions and the ships log is not available. (4)

2 Aug 1940
O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) fires two torpedoes against a submarine in the North Sea in position 56°15'N, 02°35'E. The submarine in question was either the German U-37 or more likely U-38.

1620 hours - In position 56°15'N, 02°35'E attacked a German U-boat with two torpedoes. Range was 5000 yards. No explosions were heard but the enemy submarine was seen to alter course to Starboard and to increase speed. [Neither of these two uboats reported the encounter though.] (4)

9 Aug 1940
HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) and HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) both end their 1st war patrols at Dundee. (4)

19 Aug 1940
HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) departed from Dundee for her 2nd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the Norwegian Coast near Bergen.

It is not possible to display a map for O 22. The patrol report holds no daily positions and the ships log is not available. (4)

1 Sep 1940
HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) ended her 2nd war patrol at Dundee. (4)

8 Sep 1940
HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) departed from Dundee for her 3rd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the North Sea.

It is not possible to display a map for O 22. The patrol report holds no daily positions and the ships log is not available. (4)

22 Sep 1940
HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) ended her 3rd war patrol at Dundee. (4)

6 Oct 1940
HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) departed from Dundee for her 4th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the Norwegian Coast near Bergen.

It is not possible to display a map for O 22. The patrol report holds no daily positions and the ships log is not available. (4)

21 Oct 1940
HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) ended her 4th war patrol at Dundee. (4)

5 Nov 1940
HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) departed from Dundee for her 5th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the Norwegian Coast near Stavanger.

6 Nov 1940
HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Ort, RNN) was ordered to take up a patrol position further South, off Lindesnes, 18 nautical miles from the coast. (4)

13 Nov 1940
At 2030 hours (zone -1, Berlin time) the German submarine U-28, which was on the return trip to Germany after her last operational war patrol (she was to be used as a training boat after her return), reported a torpedo attack on her in German naval grid AN 3438.

The logbook of U 28 gives the following; ' In a timespan of 30 seconds heard two heavy explosions very near to the boat. Most likely we were attacked by a submarine. The torpedoes must have passed behind the boat and most likely exploded at the end of their run or on hitting the bottom. '

If this was indeed a torpedo attack by a submarine, and given the double explosion this seems very likely to us, the attacker can only have been HrMs O 22. No other Allied submarine was operating in this area. No other Allied submarine failed to return to base around this time and finally no other Allied submarine reported this attack. Also the position where the wreck of O 22 was found in 1993 is only a few miles from the centre of German naval grid AN 3438.

Given the above we (Mr. Alexiades and uboat.net crew) consider it very likely that O 22 made this attack and was therefore still operational on the evening of 13 November 1940. It is even possible that something went wrong during this attack and that this resulted in the loss of O 22, although this is just an hypothesis on our part.

We would like to thank Mr. Platon Alexiades for informing us on the entry in the logbook of U-28.
We have informed the Dutch Navy of this find.

13 Aug 1993
The wreck of HrMs O 22 is located in about 180 meters of water by a survey vessel of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate in position 57°55'N, 05°31'E.

There is no visible damage to the wreck that is upright on the seabed. To this day the exact cause of the loss of O 22 is unknown.