Chief of the Royal Danish Navy
The Chief of the Royal Danish Navy is the professional head of the Royal Danish Navy .
History
Originally the commander of the navy was the King , with daily control given to the Admiralty and Commissioners College [da ] . The Admiralty existed from 1660 until the end of absolute monarchy in 1848. In 1852, the position of Navy Inspector (Danish : Flådeinspektør ) is established as the commander of the navy. Following the Naval Law of 1909, the position was renamed the General Inspector for the Navy (Danish : Generalinspektør for søværnet ). 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. In 1960, the position was renamed to Chief of the Navy (Danish : Chef for Søværnet ). Following major reductions in the 1980s, the name was again changed, this time to Inspector of the Navy (Danish : Inspektøren for Søværnet ). 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 . 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 ).
List of chiefs
Navy Inspector
No.
Portrait
Name(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Ref.
Took office
Left office
Time in office
1 Zahrtmann, Christian Christopher Vice admiralChristian Christopher Zahrtmann [da ] (1793–1853) 2 April 1852 1 April 1853 364 days
2 Mourier, Conrad Vice admiralConrad Emil Mourier (1795–1865) 1 April 1853 28 February 1860 6 years, 333 days
3 Meyer, Johan Vice admiralJohan Anton Meyer (1799–1875) 28 February 1860 28 December 1862 2 years, 303 days
4 Dockum, Carl Edvard Vice admiralCarl Edvard van Dockum [da ] (1804–1893) 28 December 1862 17 September 1866 3 years, 263 days
5 Bille, Steen Vice admiralSteen Andersen Bille (1797–1883) 24 September 1866 27 January 1868 1 year, 125 days
(4) Dockum, Carl Edvard Vice admiralCarl Edvard van Dockum [da ] (1804–1893) 27 January 1868 27 March 1869 1 year, 59 days
6 Wulff, Jørgen Vice admiralJørgen Peter Frederik Wulff (1808–1881) 27 March 1869 19 June 1873 4 years, 84 days
7 Sommer, Frederik Vice admiralFrederik Laurentius Fiedler Sommer (1813–1878) 19 June 1873 20 July 1878 † 5 years, 31 days
– Schultz, August Vice admiralAugust Christian Schultz (1813–1908) Acting 20 July 1878 24 July 1878 4 days
8 Wrisberg, Gerhard Vice admiralGerhard Frederik Wilhelm Wrisberg (1816–1896) 24 July 1878 20 February 1886 7 years, 211 days
9 Meldal, Julius Vice admiralJulius Meldal [da ] (1827–1901) 21 February 1886 19 July 1897 11 years, 148 days
10 Koch, Hans Vice admiralHans Henrik Koch (1836–1903) 19 July 1897 2 January 1899 1 year, 167 days
11 Uldall, Fritz Vice admiralFritz Peter Adolph Uldall (1835–1911) 2 January 1899 9 March 1905 6 years, 66 days
12 Wandel, Carl Vice admiralCarl Frederik Wandel (1843–1930) 9 March 1905 5 March 1909 3 years, 361 days
General Inspector for the Navy
No.
Portrait
Name(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Ref.
Took office
Left office
Time in office
1 Wandel, Carl Vice admiralCarl Frederik Wandel (1843–1930) 5 March 1909 1 August 1911 2 years, 180 days
2 Kofoed-Hansen, Otto Vice admiralOtto Joachim Moltke Kofoed-Hansen (1854–1918) 1 August 1911 11 April 1918 † 6 years, 222 days
3 Evers, Anton Ferdinand Vice admiralAnton Ferdinand Mazanti Evers (1857–1951) 27 April 1918 31 March 1923 4 years, 338 days
4 Konow, Henri Vice admiralHenri Konow (1862–1939) 1 April 1923 7 February 1927 3 years, 313 days
5 Amdrup, Georg Carl Vice admiralGeorg Carl Amdrup (1866–1947) 7 February 1927 30 November 1931 4 years, 296 days
6 Wenck, Henri Vice admiralHenri L. E. Wenck (1872–1933) 1 December 1931 31 March 1932 121 days
Chiefs of the Naval Command
No.
Portrait
Name(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Ref.
Took office
Left office
Time in office
1 Rechnitzer, Hjalmar Vice admiralHjalmar Rechnitzer [da ] (1872–1953) 1 April 1932 10 May 1940 8 years, 39 days
– Crèvecoeur, Emmanuel Rear admiralEmmanuel Briand de Crèvecoeur (1882–1968) Acting 10 May 1940 25 July 1941 1 year, 76 days
– Vedel, Aage Rear admiralA. H. Vedel (1894–1981) Acting 25 July 1941 31 July 1941 6 days
2 Vedel, Aage Vice admiralA. H. Vedel (1894–1981) 1 August 1941 29 August 1943 2 years, 28 days
Vacant No chief following Operation Safari
(2) Vedel, Aage Vice admiralA. H. Vedel (1894–1981) 5 May 1945 31 May 1958 13 years, 26 days
Chiefs of the Navy
No.
Portrait
Name(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Ref.
Took office
Left office
Time in office
1 Nyholm, Hans Vice admiralHans Alfred Nyholm (1898–1964) 1 June 1958 31 May 1961 2 years, 364 days
2 Pontoppidan, Svend Erik Vice admiralSvend Erik Pontoppidan (1900–1987) 1 June 1961 30 November 1965 4 years, 182 days
3 Thostrup, Sven Støckel Vice admiralSven Støckel Thostrup (1915–2006) 1 December 1965 31 January 1980 14 years, 62 days
4 Lange, Niels Færgemann Rear admiralNiels Færgemann Lange (1919–2006) 1 February 1980 30 June 1982 2 years, 150 days
Inspector of the Navy
No.
Portrait
Name(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Ref.
Took office
Left office
Time in office
1 Lange, Niels Færgemann Rear admiralNiels Færgemann Lange (1919–2006) 1 July 1982 1984 1–2 years
2 Rasmussen, Jørgen Rear admiralJørgen Philip Rasmussen (1925–2017) 1984 1986 1–2 years –
3 Telling, Mogens Rear admiralMogens Michael Telling (1927–2011) 1986 1989 2–3 years
4 Ruth, Johan Rear admiralJohan Andersen Ruth (born 1930) 1989 31 December 1990 0–1 years –
Chiefs of the Admiral Danish Fleet
No.
Portrait
Name(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Ref.
Took office
Left office
Time in office
1 Borck, Knud Erik Johan Rear admiralKnud Erik Johan Borck (1940–2011) 1 January 1991 30 April 1995 4 years, 119 days
2 Winther, Kristen Husted Rear admiralKristen Husted Winther (born 1946) 1 May 1995 30 June 2000 5 years, 60 days
3 Jørgensen, Tim Sloth Rear admiralTim Sloth Jørgensen (born 1951) 1 July 2000 31 July 2002 2 years, 30 days
4 Jensen, Kurt Birger Rear admiralKurt Birger Jensen (born 1949) 1 August 2002 31 July 2005 2 years, 364 days
5 Wang, Nils Christian Rear admiralNils Christian Wang [da ] (born 1958) 1 August 2005 31 August 2010 5 years, 30 days
6 Hansen, Finn Rear admiralFinn Hansen [da ] (born 1957) 1 September 2010 1 April 2013 2 years, 212 days
– Leisborch, Jan Flotilla admiralJan Leisborch (born 1954) Acting 1 April 2013 15 April 2013 14 days[37]
7 Trojahn, Frank Rear admiralFrank Trojahn (born 1963) 15 April 2013 30 September 2014 1 year, 168 days[37]
Chiefs of the Naval Staff
No.
Portrait
Name(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Ref.
Took office
Left office
Time in office
1 Trojahn, Frank Rear admiralFrank Trojahn (born 1963) 1 October 2014 31 March 2017 2 years, 242 days[37]
2 Mikkelsen, Torben Rear admiralTorben Mikkelsen (born 1963) 1 June 2017 31 December 2018 1 year, 213 days
Chiefs of the Naval Command
No.
Portrait
Name(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Ref.
Took office
Left office
Time in office
1 Mikkelsen, Torben Rear admiralTorben Mikkelsen (born 1963) 1 January 2019 1 June 2022 3 years, 151 days[39]
– Fjord, Carsten Flotilla admiralCarsten Fjord-Larsen Acting 1 June 2022 1 April 2023 304 days[39]
2
Rear admiralHenrik Ryberg (born 1963)
1 April 2023
Incumbent
1 year, 86 days
[40]
See also
References
Citations
Bibliography
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Balsved, Johnny (27 September 2013). "Chefer for Kystflåden og Søværnets operative Kommando" [Chiefs for the Coastal Navy and Navy Operational Command]. navalhistory.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 15 May 2018 .
Bjerg, Hans Christian (31 December 1990). "Marinestaben nedlægges". Søvernsorintering (in Danish). 15 : 10–13.
Bjerg, Hans Christian (30 November 2011a). "Admiralitets- og Kommissariatskollegiet" . Den Store Danske (in Danish). Gyldendal. Retrieved 18 May 2018 .
Bjerg, Hans Christian, ed. (2011b). "Nekrolog". Tidsskrift for Søvæsen (in Danish). 182 (3). Søe-Lieutenant-Selskab: 220–223.
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Erichsen, H. E., ed. (1861). Hof- og statscalender: Statshaandbog for det danske Monarchie for Aaret 1860 (in Danish). Copenhagen: Bianco Lunos Bogtrykkeri.
Hansen, Michelle (10 April 2013). "Ny chef for Søværnet" . soefart.dk (in Danish). Nordiske Medier. Retrieved 16 May 2018 .
Kristeligt Dagblad (6 May 2005). "Aktuelle navne" . kristeligt-dagblad.dk (in Danish). Kristeligt Dagblad. Retrieved 16 May 2018 .
Ministry of Defence (23 May 2017). "Nye chefer for Marinestaben og Flyverstaben" [New Chiefs for Air Staff and Navy Staff]. fmn.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2018 .
Pontoppidan, S. E.; Teisen, J., eds. (1984). Danske Søofficerer 1934-1983 (in Danish). Copenhagen: Søe-Lieutenant-Selskab.
Søværnets Operative Kommando (16 April 2013). "Ny chef for Søværnets Operative Kommando" (in Danish). Archived from the original on 19 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018 .
Topsøe-Jensen, T.A.; Marquard, Emil, eds. (1935a). Officerer i Den dansk-norske Søetat 1660-1814 og Den danske Søetat 1814-1932 (in Danish). Vol. I. Copenhagen: Pedersen & Lefevre.
Topsøe-Jensen, T.A.; Marquard, Emil, eds. (1935b). Officerer i Den dansk-norske Søetat 1660-1814 og Den danske Søetat 1814-1932 (in Danish). Vol. II. Copenhagen: Pedersen & Lefevre.
"Hærloven af 30. September 1909" . arma-dania.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2020 .
"Hærloven af 23. Marts 1932" . arma-dania.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2020 .
"Forsvarschefen om implementeringen af Forsvarsforliget" . DSM (in Danish). Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019 .
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