Chief of the Naval Command | |
---|---|
Chef for Søværnskommandoen (Danish) | |
since 1 April 2022 | |
Royal Danish Navy | |
Member of | Defence Command |
Reports to | Chief of Defence |
Term length | No fixed length |
Formation | 2 April 1852 |
First holder | Christian Christopher Zahrtmann |
The Chief of the Royal Danish Navy is the professional head of the Royal Danish Navy.
Originally the commander of the navy was the King, with daily control given to the Admiralty and Commissioners College . [1] The Admiralty existed from 1660 until the end of absolute monarchy in 1848. [2] In 1852, the position of Navy Inspector (Danish : Flådeinspektør) is established as the commander of the navy. [3] Following the Naval Law of 1909, the position was renamed the General Inspector for the Navy (Danish : Generalinspektør for søværnet). [4] After the Naval Law of 1932, the vice admiral would become Chief of the Naval Command (Danish : Chef for Søværnskommandoen) and director of the Ministry of the Navy. [5] In 1960, the position was renamed to Chief of the Navy (Danish : Chef for Søværnet). [6] Following major reductions in the 1980s, the name was again changed, this time to Inspector of the Navy (Danish : Inspektøren for Søværnet). [6] In 1990, the Marine staff and the position of Inspector of the Navy were abolished, resulting in all areas of responsibility being transferred to the Admiral Danish Fleet. [6] Following the Danish Defence Agreement 2013–17, the Admiral Danish Fleet was disbanded and reorganised into the Naval Staff. On 1 January 2019, as part of the Danish Defence Agreement 2018–23, the name was changed to Chief of the Naval Command (Danish : Chef for Søværnskommandoen). [7]
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
1 | Christian Christopher Zahrtmann (1793–1853) | Vice admiral2 April 1852 | 1 April 1853 | 364 days | [8] | |
2 | Conrad Emil Mourier (1795–1865) | Vice admiral1 April 1853 | 28 February 1860 | 6 years, 333 days | [9] [10] | |
3 | Johan Anton Meyer (1799–1875) | Vice admiral28 February 1860 | 28 December 1862 | 2 years, 303 days | [11] | |
4 | Carl Edvard van Dockum (1804–1893) | Vice admiral28 December 1862 | 17 September 1866 | 3 years, 263 days | [12] | |
5 | Steen Andersen Bille (1797–1883) | Vice admiral24 September 1866 | 27 January 1868 | 1 year, 125 days | [13] | |
(4) | Carl Edvard van Dockum (1804–1893) | Vice admiral27 January 1868 | 27 March 1869 | 1 year, 59 days | [12] | |
6 | Jørgen Peter Frederik Wulff (1808–1881) | Vice admiral27 March 1869 | 19 June 1873 | 4 years, 84 days | [14] | |
7 | Frederik Laurentius Fiedler Sommer (1813–1878) | Vice admiral19 June 1873 | 20 July 1878 † | 5 years, 31 days | [15] | |
– | August Christian Schultz (1813–1908) Acting | Vice admiral20 July 1878 | 24 July 1878 | 4 days | [16] | |
8 | Gerhard Frederik Wilhelm Wrisberg (1816–1896) | Vice admiral24 July 1878 | 20 February 1886 | 7 years, 211 days | [14] | |
9 | Julius Meldal (1827–1901) | Vice admiral21 February 1886 | 19 July 1897 | 11 years, 148 days | [17] | |
10 | Hans Henrik Koch (1836–1903) | Vice admiral19 July 1897 | 2 January 1899 | 1 year, 167 days | [18] | |
11 | Fritz Peter Adolph Uldall (1835–1911) | Vice admiral2 January 1899 | 9 March 1905 | 6 years, 66 days | [19] | |
12 | Carl Frederik Wandel (1843–1930) | Vice admiral9 March 1905 | 5 March 1909 | 3 years, 361 days | [20] |
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
1 | Carl Frederik Wandel (1843–1930) | Vice admiral5 March 1909 | 1 August 1911 | 2 years, 180 days | [20] | |
2 | Otto Joachim Moltke Kofoed-Hansen (1854–1918) | Vice admiral1 August 1911 | 11 April 1918 † | 6 years, 222 days | [21] | |
3 | Anton Ferdinand Mazanti Evers (1857–1951) | Vice admiral27 April 1918 | 31 March 1923 | 4 years, 338 days | [22] | |
4 | Henri Konow (1862–1939) | Vice admiral1 April 1923 | 7 February 1927 | 3 years, 313 days | [23] | |
5 | Georg Carl Amdrup (1866–1947) | Vice admiral7 February 1927 | 30 November 1931 | 4 years, 296 days | [24] | |
6 | Henri L. E. Wenck (1872–1933) | Vice admiral1 December 1931 | 31 March 1932 | 121 days | [25] |
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
1 | Hjalmar Rechnitzer (1872–1953) | Vice admiral1 April 1932 | 10 May 1940 | 8 years, 39 days | [26] | |
– | Emmanuel Briand de Crèvecoeur (1882–1968) Acting | Rear admiral10 May 1940 | 25 July 1941 | 1 year, 76 days | [27] | |
– | A. H. Vedel (1894–1981) Acting | Rear admiral25 July 1941 | 31 July 1941 | 6 days | [28] | |
2 | A. H. Vedel (1894–1981) | Vice admiral1 August 1941 | 29 August 1943 | 2 years, 28 days | [28] | |
Vacant No chief following Operation Safari | ||||||
(2) | A. H. Vedel (1894–1981) | Vice admiral5 May 1945 | 31 May 1958 | 13 years, 26 days | [28] |
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
1 | Hans Alfred Nyholm (1898–1964) | Vice admiral1 June 1958 | 31 May 1961 | 2 years, 364 days | [29] | |
2 | Svend Erik Pontoppidan (1900–1987) | Vice admiral1 June 1961 | 30 November 1965 | 4 years, 182 days | [30] | |
3 | Sven Støckel Thostrup (1915–2006) | Vice admiral1 December 1965 | 31 January 1980 | 14 years, 62 days | [31] | |
4 | Niels Færgemann Lange (1919–2006) | Rear admiral1 February 1980 | 30 June 1982 | 2 years, 150 days | [32] |
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
1 | Niels Færgemann Lange (1919–2006) | Rear admiral1 July 1982 | 1984 | 1–2 years | [32] | |
2 | Jørgen Philip Rasmussen (1925–2017) | Rear admiral1984 | 1986 | 1–2 years | – | |
3 | Mogens Michael Telling (1927–2011) | Rear admiral1986 | 1989 | 2–3 years | [33] | |
4 | Johan Andersen Ruth (born 1930) | Rear admiral1989 | 31 December 1990 | 0–1 years | – |
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
1 | Knud Erik Johan Borck (1940–2011) | Rear admiral1 January 1991 | 30 April 1995 | 4 years, 119 days | [34] | |
2 | Kristen Husted Winther (born 1946) | Rear admiral1 May 1995 | 30 June 2000 | 5 years, 60 days | [34] | |
3 | Tim Sloth Jørgensen (born 1951) | Rear admiral1 July 2000 | 31 July 2002 | 2 years, 30 days | [34] | |
4 | Kurt Birger Jensen (born 1949) | Rear admiral1 August 2002 | 31 July 2005 | 2 years, 364 days | [34] | |
5 | Nils Christian Wang (born 1958) | Rear admiral1 August 2005 | 31 August 2010 | 5 years, 30 days | [34] [35] | |
6 | Finn Hansen (born 1957) | Rear admiral1 September 2010 | 1 April 2013 | 2 years, 212 days | [34] [36] | |
– | Jan Leisborch (born 1954) Acting | Flotilla admiral1 April 2013 | 15 April 2013 | 14 days | [37] | |
7 | Frank Trojahn (born 1963) | Rear admiral15 April 2013 | 30 September 2014 | 1 year, 168 days | [34] [37] |
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
1 | Frank Trojahn (born 1963) | Rear admiral1 October 2014 | 31 March 2017 | 2 years, 242 days | [34] [37] | |
2 | Torben Mikkelsen (born 1963) | Rear admiral1 June 2017 | 31 December 2018 | 1 year, 213 days | [38] |
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
1 | Torben Mikkelsen (born 1963) | Rear admiral1 January 2019 | 1 June 2022 | 3 years, 151 days | [39] | |
– | Carsten Fjord-Larsen Acting | Flotilla admiral1 June 2022 | 1 April 2023 | 304 days | [39] | |
2 | Rear admiral Henrik Ryberg (born 1963) | 1 April 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 204 days | [40] |
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