Chief_of_the_Royal_Danish_Navy
The Chief of the Royal Danish Navy is the professional head of the Royal Danish Navy.
Quick Facts Member of, Reports to ...
| Chief of the Naval Command | |
|---|---|
| Chef for Søværnskommandoen (Danish) | |
 Coat of Arms | |
Rank flag for Rear admirals | |
Incumbent Rear admiral Henrik Ryberg 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 [da] |
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Originally the commander of the navy was the King, with daily control given to the Admiralty and Commissioners College [da].[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]
Navy Inspector
More information No., Portrait ...
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 | Zahrtmann, Christian ChristopherVice admiral Christian Christopher Zahrtmann [da] (1793–1853) | 2 April 1852 | 1 April 1853 | 364 days | [8] | |
| 2 | Mourier, ConradVice admiral Conrad Emil Mourier (1795–1865) | 1 April 1853 | 28 February 1860 | 6 years, 333 days | [9][10] | |
| 3 | Meyer, JohanVice admiral Johan Anton Meyer (1799–1875) | 28 February 1860 | 28 December 1862 | 2 years, 303 days | [11] | |
| 4 | Dockum, Carl EdvardVice admiral Carl Edvard van Dockum [da] (1804–1893) | 28 December 1862 | 17 September 1866 | 3 years, 263 days | [12] | |
| 5 | Bille, SteenVice admiral Steen Andersen Bille (1797–1883) | 24 September 1866 | 27 January 1868 | 1 year, 125 days | [13] | |
| (4) | Dockum, Carl EdvardVice admiral Carl Edvard van Dockum [da] (1804–1893) | 27 January 1868 | 27 March 1869 | 1 year, 59 days | [12] | |
| 6 | Wulff, JørgenVice admiral Jørgen Peter Frederik Wulff (1808–1881) | 27 March 1869 | 19 June 1873 | 4 years, 84 days | [14] | |
| 7 | Sommer, FrederikVice admiral Frederik Laurentius Fiedler Sommer (1813–1878) | 19 June 1873 | 20 July 1878 † | 5 years, 31 days | [15] | |
| – | Schultz, AugustVice admiral August Christian Schultz (1813–1908) Acting | 20 July 1878 | 24 July 1878 | 4 days | [16] | |
| 8 | Wrisberg, GerhardVice admiral Gerhard Frederik Wilhelm Wrisberg (1816–1896) | 24 July 1878 | 20 February 1886 | 7 years, 211 days | [14] | |
| 9 | Meldal, JuliusVice admiral Julius Meldal [da] (1827–1901) | 21 February 1886 | 19 July 1897 | 11 years, 148 days | [17] | |
| 10 | Koch, HansVice admiral Hans Henrik Koch (1836–1903) | 19 July 1897 | 2 January 1899 | 1 year, 167 days | [18] | |
| 11 | Uldall, FritzVice admiral Fritz Peter Adolph Uldall (1835–1911) | 2 January 1899 | 9 March 1905 | 6 years, 66 days | [19] | |
| 12 | Wandel, CarlVice admiral Carl Frederik Wandel (1843–1930) | 9 March 1905 | 5 March 1909 | 3 years, 361 days | [20] | |
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General Inspector for the Navy
More information No., Portrait ...
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 | Wandel, CarlVice admiral Carl Frederik Wandel (1843–1930) | 5 March 1909 | 1 August 1911 | 2 years, 180 days | [20] | |
| 2 | Kofoed-Hansen, OttoVice admiral Otto Joachim Moltke Kofoed-Hansen (1854–1918) | 1 August 1911 | 11 April 1918 † | 6 years, 222 days | [21] | |
| 3 | Evers, Anton FerdinandVice admiral Anton Ferdinand Mazanti Evers (1857–1951) | 27 April 1918 | 31 March 1923 | 4 years, 338 days | [22] | |
| 4 | Konow, HenriVice admiral Henri Konow (1862–1939) | 1 April 1923 | 7 February 1927 | 3 years, 313 days | [23] | |
| 5 | Amdrup, Georg CarlVice admiral Georg Carl Amdrup (1866–1947) | 7 February 1927 | 30 November 1931 | 4 years, 296 days | [24] | |
| 6 | Wenck, HenriVice admiral Henri L. E. Wenck (1872–1933) | 1 December 1931 | 31 March 1932 | 121 days | [25] | |
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Chiefs of the Naval Command
More information No., Portrait ...
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 | Rechnitzer, HjalmarVice admiral Hjalmar Rechnitzer [da] (1872–1953) | 1 April 1932 | 10 May 1940 | 8 years, 39 days | [26] | |
| – | Crèvecoeur, EmmanuelRear admiral Emmanuel Briand de Crèvecoeur (1882–1968) Acting | 10 May 1940 | 25 July 1941 | 1 year, 76 days | [27] | |
| – | Vedel, AageRear admiral A. H. Vedel (1894–1981) Acting | 25 July 1941 | 31 July 1941 | 6 days | [28] | |
| 2 | Vedel, AageVice admiral A. H. Vedel (1894–1981) | 1 August 1941 | 29 August 1943 | 2 years, 28 days | [28] | |
| Vacant No chief following Operation Safari | ||||||
| (2) | Vedel, AageVice admiral A. H. Vedel (1894–1981) | 5 May 1945 | 31 May 1958 | 13 years, 26 days | [28] | |
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Chiefs of the Navy
More information No., Portrait ...
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 | Nyholm, HansVice admiral Hans Alfred Nyholm (1898–1964) | 1 June 1958 | 31 May 1961 | 2 years, 364 days | [29] | |
| 2 | Pontoppidan, Svend ErikVice admiral Svend Erik Pontoppidan (1900–1987) | 1 June 1961 | 30 November 1965 | 4 years, 182 days | [30] | |
| 3 | Thostrup, Sven StøckelVice admiral Sven Støckel Thostrup (1915–2006) | 1 December 1965 | 31 January 1980 | 14 years, 62 days | [31] | |
| 4 | Lange, Niels FærgemannRear admiral Niels Færgemann Lange (1919–2006) | 1 February 1980 | 30 June 1982 | 2 years, 150 days | [32] | |
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Inspector of the Navy
More information No., Portrait ...
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 | Lange, Niels FærgemannRear admiral Niels Færgemann Lange (1919–2006) | 1 July 1982 | 1984 | 1–2 years | [32] | |
| 2 | Rasmussen, JørgenRear admiral Jørgen Philip Rasmussen (1925–2017) | 1984 | 1986 | 1–2 years | – | |
| 3 | Telling, MogensRear admiral Mogens Michael Telling (1927–2011) | 1986 | 1989 | 2–3 years | [33] | |
| 4 | Ruth, JohanRear admiral Johan Andersen Ruth (born 1930) | 1989 | 31 December 1990 | 0–1 years | – | |
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Chiefs of the Admiral Danish Fleet
Main article: Admiral Danish Fleet
More information No., Portrait ...
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 | Borck, Knud Erik JohanRear admiral Knud Erik Johan Borck (1940–2011) | 1 January 1991 | 30 April 1995 | 4 years, 119 days | [34] | |
| 2 | Winther, Kristen HustedRear admiral Kristen Husted Winther (born 1946) | 1 May 1995 | 30 June 2000 | 5 years, 60 days | [34] | |
| 3 | Jørgensen, Tim SlothRear admiral Tim Sloth Jørgensen (born 1951) | 1 July 2000 | 31 July 2002 | 2 years, 30 days | [34] | |
| 4 | Jensen, Kurt BirgerRear admiral Kurt Birger Jensen (born 1949) | 1 August 2002 | 31 July 2005 | 2 years, 364 days | [34] | |
| 5 | Wang, Nils ChristianRear admiral Nils Christian Wang [da] (born 1958) | 1 August 2005 | 31 August 2010 | 5 years, 30 days | [34][35] | |
| 6 | Hansen, FinnRear admiral Finn Hansen [da] (born 1957) | 1 September 2010 | 1 April 2013 | 2 years, 212 days | [34][36] | |
| – | Leisborch, JanFlotilla admiral Jan Leisborch (born 1954) Acting | 1 April 2013 | 15 April 2013 | 14 days | [37] | |
| 7 | Trojahn, FrankRear admiral Frank Trojahn (born 1963) | 15 April 2013 | 30 September 2014 | 1 year, 168 days | [34][37] | |
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Chiefs of the Naval Staff
More information No., Portrait ...
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 | Trojahn, FrankRear admiral Frank Trojahn (born 1963) | 1 October 2014 | 31 March 2017 | 2 years, 242 days | [34][37] | |
| 2 | Mikkelsen, TorbenRear admiral Torben Mikkelsen (born 1963) | 1 June 2017 | 31 December 2018 | 1 year, 213 days | [38] | |
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Chiefs of the Naval Command
More information No., Portrait ...
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 | Mikkelsen, TorbenRear admiral Torben Mikkelsen (born 1963) | 1 January 2019 | 1 June 2022 | 3 years, 151 days | [39] | |
| – | Fjord, CarstenFlotilla admiral Carsten Fjord-Larsen Acting | 1 June 2022 | 1 April 2023 | 304 days | [39] | |
| 2 | Rear admiral Henrik Ryberg (born 1963) |
1 April 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 26 days | [40] | |
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- Citations
- Bjerg 1990, p. 12.
- Topsøe-Jensen & Marquard 1935b, p. 758.
- Topsøe-Jensen & Marquard 1935b, p. 213.
- Erichsen 1861, p. 247.
- Topsøe-Jensen & Marquard 1935b, p. 181.
- Topsøe-Jensen & Marquard 1935a, p. 297.
- Topsøe-Jensen & Marquard 1935a, p. 136.
- Topsøe-Jensen & Marquard 1935b, p. 740.
- Topsøe-Jensen & Marquard 1935b, p. 533.
- Topsøe-Jensen & Marquard 1935b, p. 474.
- Topsøe-Jensen & Marquard 1935b, pp. 172–173.
- Topsøe-Jensen & Marquard 1935b, p. 657.
- Topsøe-Jensen & Marquard 1935b, p. 675.
- Topsøe-Jensen & Marquard 1935a, p. 340.
- Topsøe-Jensen & Marquard 1935b, p. 684.
- Pontoppidan & Teisen 1984, p. 459.
- Pontoppidan & Teisen 1984, p. 70.
- Pontoppidan & Teisen 1984, p. 565.
- Pontoppidan & Teisen 1984, p. 400.
- Pontoppidan & Teisen 1984, p. 436.
- Pontoppidan & Teisen 1984, p. 549.
- Pontoppidan & Teisen 1984, p. 311.
- Bjerg 2011b, p. 221.
- Wester, Kasper Junge (26 April 2022). "Søværnets chef fratræder sin stilling for at lede Forsvarets Skibsprogram". olfi.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- Defence Command (14 April 2023). "Søværnet får ny chef" [The Navy Gets a New Chief]. forsvaret.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 16 May 2023.
- Bibliography
- Balsved, Johnny (30 May 2008). "Mærkedage - 1800-tallet". navalhistory.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- 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.
- Christensen, W.K. (25 February 2000). "Grundlaget for militær magtanvendelse ifølge dansk statsforfatningsret". krigsvidenskab.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- 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.