Chief of the Royal Danish Navy

The Chief of the Royal Danish Navy is the professional head of the Royal Danish Navy. Originally the position was held by the Admiralty and Commissioners College, which existed from 1660 until the end of absolute monarchy in 1848.[1] Following the end of absolutism, the Minister for the Navy was created becoming the highest position in the Navy.[2] With the collection of the Ministry of the Navy and the Ministry of War in 1905, command of the navy was moved again.[3] Following the creation of the Defence Command in 1969, the commands for the three branches was collected, giving power to the Chief of Defence. On 1 January 2019, as part of the Danish Defence Agreement 2018–23, the Danish name was changed Naval Command.[4]

Chief of the Naval Command Chef for Søværnskommandoen
Coat of Arms
Rank flag for Rear admirals
Incumbent Rear admiral Torben Mikkelsen since 1 June 2017
Royal Danish Navy
Member of	Defence Command
Reports to	Chief of Defence
Term length	No fixed length
Formation	5 March 1909
First holder	Carl Frederik Wandel

The current Chief of the Naval Command is Rear admiral Torben Mikkelsen (appointed 1 June 2017).

List of chiefs

Chiefs of the Naval Command

No.		Chief of the Naval Command	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref
1		Wandel, CarlVice admiral Carl Frederik Wandel (1843–1930)	5 March 1909	1 August 1911	2 years, 180 days	[5][6][7]
2		Kofoed-Hansen, OttoVice admiral Otto Joachim Moltke Kofoed-Hansen (1854–1918) as Chief of the Fleet High Command	1 August 1911	11 April 1918 †	6 years, 222 days	[8][9]
3		Evers, Anton FerdinandVice admiral Anton Ferdinand Mazanti Evers (1857–1951)	27 April 1918	31 March 1923	4 years, 338 days	[10]
4		Konow, HenriVice admiral Henri Konow (1862–1939)	31 March 1923	7 February 1927	3 years, 313 days	[11]
5		Amdrup, Georg CarlVice admiral Georg Carl Amdrup (1866–1947)	7 February 1927	1 April 1932	5 years, 54 days	[12]
6		Rechnitzer, HjalmarVice admiral Hjalmar Rechnitzer (1872–1953)	1 April 1932	10 May 1940	8 years, 39 days	[13]
-		Crèvecoeur, EmmanuelRear admiral Emmanuel Briand de Crèvecoeur (1882–1968) Acting	10 May 1940	25 July 1941	1 year, 76 days	[14][15]
-		Vedel, AageRear admiral A. H. Vedel (1894–1981) Acting	25 July 1941	1 August 1941	38 days	[16]
7		Vedel, AageVice admiral A. H. Vedel (1894–1981)	1 August 1941	29 August 1943	1 year, 301 days	[16]
Vacant No chief following Operation Safari
(7)		Vedel, AageVice admiral A. H. Vedel (1894–1981)	5 May 1945	31 May 1958	13 years, 26 days	[16]
8		Nyholm, HansVice admiral Hans Alfred Nyholm (1898–1964)	31 May 1958	1 June 1961	3 years, 1 day	[17]
9		Pontoppidan, Svend ErikVice admiral Svend Erik Pontoppidan (1900–1987)	1 June 1961	30 November 1965	4 years, 182 days	[18][19]
10		Thostrup, Sven StøckelVice admiral Sven Støckel Thostrup (1915–2006)	1 December 1965	1 January 1970	4 years, 32 days	[20][21]

Chiefs of the Navy

No.		Chief of the Navy	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref
1		Brinck-Lund, OleRear admiral Ole Brinck-Lund (1918–2008)	1 January 1970	30 April 1973	3 years, 119 days	[22]
2		Lange, Niels FærgemannRear admiral Niels Færgemann Lange (1919–2006)	1 May 1973	30 September 1974	1 year, 153 days	[22]
3		Petersen, Henrik MariusRear admiral Henrik Marius Petersen (1919–1978)	1 October 1974	2 May 1978 †	3 years, 213 days	[22]
-		Nielsen, HelgeCommodore Helge Nielsen (officer) (1921–2013) Acting	2 May 1978	31 May 1978	29 days	[22]
4		Heisterberg-Andersen, Fritz CarlRear admiral Fritz Carl Heisterberg-Andersen (1918–1984)	1 June 1978	30 September 1979	1 year, 121 days	[22]
-		Laursen, Tage NikolajCommodore Tage Nikolaj Laursen (1920–?) Acting	1 October 1979	31 October 1979	30 days	[22]
(2)		Lange, Niels FærgemannRear admiral Niels Færgemann Lange (1919–2006)	1 November 1979	31 January 1980	122 days	[22]
5		Thiede, Sven EigilRear admiral Sven Eigil Thiede (1924–2005)	1 February 1980	30 April 1983	3 years, 88 days	[22]

Inspector of the Navy

No.		Inspector of the Navy	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref
1		Thiede, Sven EigilRear admiral Sven Eigil Thiede (1924–2005)	1 July 1982	30 April 1983	303 days	[22]
2		Fischer, Johan OlfertRear admiral Johan Olfert Fischer (1925–?)	1 May 1983	30 September 1984	1 year, 153 days	[22]
3		Bork, Jørgen FritsRear admiral Jørgen Frits Bork (1927–2017)	1 October 1984	31 March 1988	3 years, 182 days	[22][23]
4		Garde, JørgenRear admiral Jørgen Garde (1939–1996)	1 April 1988	31 October 1989	1 year, 213 days	[22]
5		Borck, Knud Erik JohanRear admiral Knud Erik Johan Borck (1940–2011)	1 November 1989	1 January 1990	61 days	[22][24]

Chiefs of the Admiral Danish Fleet

No.		Chief of the Admiral Danish Fleet	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref
1		Borck, Knud Erik JohanRear admiral Knud Erik Johan Borck (1940–2011)	1 January 1990	30 April 1995	5 years, 119 days	[22]
2		Winther, Kristen HustedRear admiral Kristen Husted Winther (born 1946)	1 May 1995	30 June 2000	5 years, 60 days	[22]
3		Jörgensen, Tim SlothRear admiral Tim Sloth Jørgensen (born 1951)	1 July 2000	31 July 2002	2 years, 30 days	[22]
4		Jensen, Kurt BirgerRear admiral Kurt Birger Jensen (born 1949)	1 August 2002	31 July 2005	2 years, 364 days	[22]
5		Wang, Nils ChristianRear admiral Nils Christian Wang (born 1958)	1 August 2005	31 August 2010	5 years, 30 days	[22][25]
6		Hansen, FinnRear admiral Finn Hansen (born 1957)	1 September 2010	1 April 2013	2 years, 212 days	[22][26]
-		Leisborch, JanFlotilla admiral Jan Leisborch (born 1954) Acting	1 April 2013	15 April 2013	14 days	[27]
7		Trojahn, FrankRear admiral Frank Trojahn (born 1963)	15 April 2013	30 September 2014	1 year, 168 days	[22][27]

Chiefs of the Naval Staff

No.		Chief of the Naval Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref
1		Trojahn, FrankRear admiral Frank Trojahn (born 1963)	1 October 2014	31 March 2017	2 years, 242 days	[22][27]
2		Mikkelsen, TorbenRear admiral Torben Mikkelsen (born 1963)	1 June 2017	31 December 2018	1 year, 213 days	[28]

Chiefs of the Naval Command

No.		Chief of the Naval Command	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref
1		Mikkelsen, TorbenRear admiral Torben Mikkelsen (born 1963)	1 January 2019	Incumbent	1 year, 228 days	.

See also

• Chief of Defence (Denmark)
• Chief of the Royal Danish Army
• Chief of the Royal Danish Air Force

References

1. Bjerg, Hans Christian (30 November 2011). "Admiralitets- og Kommissariatskollegiet". Den Store Danske (in Danish). Gyldendal. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
2. Balsved, Johnny (11 October 2009). "Flådens chefer". Navalhistory.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 18 May 2018.
3. Ministry of Defence (6 April 2016). "Forsvarsministeriets historie". fmn.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 18 May 2018.
4. "Forsvarschefen om implementeringen af Forsvarsforliget". DSM (in Danish). Retrieved 31 January 2019.
5. Balsved, Johnny. "Kofoed-Hansen, O. J." Navalhistory.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 18 May 2018.
6. Ipsen, Paul (18 July 2011). "C.F. Wandel". Den Store Danske (in Danish). Gyldendal. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
7. Marineministeriets Foranstaltning. Haanbog for Søvernet 1910 (PDF) (in Danish). Copenhagen: H.H. Thieles. p. 15. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
8. Balsved, Johnny. "Kofoed-Hansen, O. J." Navalhistory.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 18 May 2018.
9. Marineministeriets Foranstaltning. Haanbog for Søvernet 1913 (PDF) (in Danish). Copenhagen: H.H. Thieles. p. 14. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
10. Balsved, Johnny. "Evers, Anton F. M." Navalhistory.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 18 May 2018.
11. Marineministeriets Foranstaltning. Haanbog for Søvernet 1924 (PDF) (in Danish). Copenhagen: H.H. Thieles. p. 15. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
12. Marineministeriets Foranstaltning. Haanbog for Søvernet 1931 (PDF) (in Danish). Copenhagen: Centraltrykkeriet. p. 16. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
13. Balsved, Johnny. "Rechnitzer, H." Navalhistory.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 18 May 2018.
14. Marineministeriets Foranstaltning. Haandbog for Søværnet 1941 (PDF) (in Danish). Copenhagen: Centraltrykkeriet. p. 17. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
15. Balsved, Johnny. "Briand de Crèvecoeur, E." Navalhistory.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 6 June 2018.
16. Balsved, Johnny. "Vedel, A. H." Navalhistory.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 18 May 2018.
17. Ministry of Defence. Håndbog for Søværnet 1959 (PDF) (in Danish). Copenhagen: Centraltrykkeriet. p. 18. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
18. Ministry of Defence. Håndbog for Søværnet 1962 (PDF) (in Danish). Copenhagen: Centraltrykkeriet. p. 18. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
19. Balsved, Johnny. "Pontoppidan, S. E." Navalhistory.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 6 June 2018.
20. Ministry of Defence. Håndbog for Søværnet 1967 (PDF) (in Danish). Copenhagen: Centraltrykkeriet. p. 18. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
21. Balsved, Johnny. "Thostrup, S. S." Navalhistory.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 6 June 2018.
22. Balsved, Johnny E. (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.
23. Jensen, Henrik Dannemand (4 December 2017). "Viceadmiralen er gået fra borde". Berlingske (in Danish). Berlingske Media. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
24. gravsted.dk (2013). "Knud Erik Johan Borck". Gravsted.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 28 May 2018.
25. Kristeligt Dagblad (6 May 2005). "Aktuelle navne". kristeligt-dagblad.dk (in Danish). Kristeligt Dagblad. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
26. Hansen, Michelle (10 April 2013). "Ny chef for Søværnet". soefart.dk (in Danish). Nordiske Medier. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
27. Søværnets Operative Kommando (16 April 2013). "Ny chef for Søværnets Operative Kommando" (in Danish). Retrieved 16 May 2018.
28. Danish Ministry of Defence (23 May 2017). "Nye chefer for Marinestaben og Flyverstaben" [New Chiefs for Air Staff and Navy Staff]. fmn.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 15 May 2018.