Admiral (Sweden)

Admiral (Adm) ( sv, Amiral, Am) is a four-star commissioned naval officer rank in the Swedish Navy. Admiral ranks immediately above vice admiral and is equivalent to general.

History

In Sweden, the admiral's rank first appeared during the reign of Gustav I, who in 1522 gave it to Erik Fleming, a Council of the Realm. During Gustav's reign as king and throughout the latter part of the 16th century, the highest command of a fleet was led by a ("colonel admiral"), to whose assistant a was appointed. It was not until 1569 that a permanent was appointed; In 1602 the title was exchanged for ("Admiral of the Realm"). The first permanent was appointed in 1575; his office ceased in 1619. Vice admiral is first mentioned in 1577. The admirals of the Swedish Navy have, incidentally, been as follows: (" general admiral"), (" admiral general"), (" grand admiral"), , ("Vice Admiral of the Realm"), ("admiral lieutenant general"), ("lieutenant admiral"), and ("rear admiral"). As names for special positions, there has been: ("commanding admiral"), ("shipyard admiral"), ("islet admiral") and ("shipyard admiral").

Admiral is equivalent to the rank of general in the Swedish Army, the Swedish Air Force, the Swedish Coastal Artillery (until 2000) and as well as in the Swedish Amphibious Corps (from 2000). Historically, during the 20th century, vice admirals were promoted one grade upon retirement to full four-star admiral. The last time this happened was in 1991 when vice admiral Bror Stefenson was promoted to admiral in connection with his retirement from the navy. According to current practice only royals and the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, if he were to come from the Swedish Navy, can hold the rank of a full, four-star, admiral in Sweden.

Following a proposal from the Swedish Armed Forces, the Government of Sweden decides on employment as an admiral.

In everyday speech, admirals of all ranks are addressed as admirals.

Uniform

Shoulder mark

The shoulder mark of a Swedish admiral contains a 45 mm galloon m/51 and four 25 mm star m/30 in silver embroidery on a white background: The center distance between the stars on the shoulder mark must be 27 mm.

File:OF-9 Amiral FL hylsa.jpg, Shoulder mark of a Swedish admiral (1972–present)
File:OF-8_Viceamiral_FL_hylsa.jpg, Shoulder mark of a Swedish admiral (1878–1972)

Sleeve insignia

A flag officer wears on the sleeves a 45 mm galloon (''GALON M/51 45MM K'') and a rank insignia (''GRADBETECKNING M/02 TILL ÄRM FLOTTAN'') (round loop, the Amphibious Corps has a pointed loop in form of a grenade).

File:OF-9 Amiral FL arm.jpg, Sleeve insignia for an admiral (2003–present)
File:OF-9_Amiral_FL_ärm_pre-2003.jpg, Sleeve insignia for an admiral (1972–2003)
File:OF-8 Viceamiral FL ärm pre-2003.jpg, Sleeve insignia for an admiral (1878–1972)
File:Jacka m78 (1878) med långbyxor och väst för amiral MM 22972.jpg, Jacket m/78 (1878) with long trousers and vest for admiral. Has been carried by Admiral Åke Lindemalm during his time as commander (1957) and admiral until his death.

Hats

Peaked cap

A flag officer wears as embellishments a gold embroidered oak leaf wreath (known as scrambled egg) on the visor of the peaked cap (''skärmmössa m/48''). It also fitted with a hat badge (''mössmärke m/78 off för flottan'') and with a strap in form of a golden braid.

File:Ericson, Stig Hson (1955).jpg, Peaked cap model 1948 worn by Stig H:son Ericson.
File:Mössmärke m78 FL Officer.png, Hat badge
File:Amiralsuniform Oscar II - Livrustkammaren - 5368.tif, Admiral's uniform. Once owned by King Oscar II
File:Mössa till amiralsuniform (Oscar II) - Livrustkammaren - 56737.tif, Admiral's peaked cap. Once owned by King Oscar II

Side cap and winter hat

An officer wears a hat badge (''mössmärke m/78 off'') for the navy and another (''mössmärke m/87 off'') for amphibious units on the side cap (''båtmössa m/48'') and on the winter hat (''vintermössa m/87'').

Personal flags

Admiral's command flag, which admirals of all ranks carry on ships, where they are as commanders. On a three-masted ship, an admiral's flag flies on top of the main mast (vice admiral's flies on the top of the fore-mast and rear admiral's on top of the mizzen-mast). The command flag of an admiral (and a general) is a double swallowtailed Swedish flag. In the first blue field 4 five-pointed white stars placed two over two (before 1972 by 3 stars placed one over two).

The flag of the admiral (and vice admiral and rear admiral) is flown on ships of the navy, from which officer of the rank now mentioned exercises his command, or on which he travels in the service, but not on ships on which he is in the capacity of exercise leader.

A flag officer (for example an admiral) who holds the position of Supreme Commander, Chief of Operations, Chief of Navy, Chief of Maritime Component Command or naval force commander, may carry an admiral flag on a car in which the commander in question travels in uniform. On airplanes/helicopters, vice admirals (flag officers) may carry a command sign in the form of an image of an admiral flag.

File:Naval Rank Flag of Sweden - Amiralsflagga.svg, Admiral/General
(1972–present)
File:Naval_Rank_Flag_of_Sweden_-_Viceamiralsflagga.svg, Admiral/General
(1905–1972)
File:Swedish command flag (1875-1905) - Admiral.svg, Admiral command flag
(1875–1905)
File:Swedish-Norwegian command flag (1815-1844) - Admiral.svg, Admiral command flag
(1836–1844)

Gun salute

When raising or lowering flags of the commander's, squadron, department or division commander, a gun salute is given with 17 rounds for admiral (15 for vice admiral and 13 for rear admiral).

List of admirals

# Ivar Fleming 1534
# Jakob Bagge 1555
# Nils Jespersson Kruse 1563
# Klas Kristersson Horn af Åminne 1564
# Bengt Halstensson Bagge 1569
# Herman Fleming 1574
# Hans Claësson Bjelkenstjerna 1611
# Clas Fleming 1620
# Nils Göransson Stiernsköld 1627
# Åke Ulfsparre 1640
#Mårten Anckarhielm 1653
# Göran Göransson Gyllenstierna the elder 1640
#Klas Hansson Bjelkenstjerna 1654
# Sten Nilsson Bielke 1657
# Claes Nilsson Stiernsköld 1661
#Claes Uggla 1670
# Erik Carlsson Sjöblad 1676
# Hans Clerck 1676
# Johan Bär 1676
# Johan Olofsson Bergenstierna 1676
# Gustaf Adolph Sparre 1690
#Cornelius Anckarstjerna 1692
# Evert Fredrik Taube 1700
# Jacob De Prou 1709
# Axel Johan Lewenhaupt 1712
# Gustaf Wattrang 1712
# Erik Johan Lillie 1715
#Gustaf von Psilander 1715
# Mikael Henck 1715
# Carl Henrik von Löwe 1719
# Jonas Fredrik Örnfelt 1719
# Olof Strömstierna 1719
# Nils Ehrenschiöld 1721
# Olof von Unge 1734
# Gustaf Grubbe 1736
# Jean von Utfall 1742
# Theodor Ankarcrona 1742
# Abraham Falkengréen 1749
# Carl Hans Sparre 1754
# Erik Arvid Sparre 1755
# Didrik Henrik Taube 1768
# Nils Lillienanckar 1771
# Carl Vilhelm Modée 1793
#Salomon von Rajalin 1809
# Henrik Johan Nauckhoff 1817
# Magnus Palmqvist 1818
# Per Gustaf Lagerstråle 1818
# Carl Fredrik Coyet 1827
# Johan Lagerbielke 1827
# Otto Gustaf Nordensköld 1845
# Johan Henrik Kreüger 1857
# Carl August Gyllengranat 1858
# Carl Magnus Ehnemark 1862
# Christian Anders Sundin 1884
# Carl Gustaf von Otter 1889
# Louis Palander af Vega 1900
#Fredrik von Otter 1900
# Hjalmar af Klintberg 1903
#King Gustav V 1907
# Carl Hjulhammar 1911
# Wilhelm Dyrssen 1923
#Carl August Ehrensvärd 1926
# Henning von Krusenstierna 1927
#Otto Lybeck 1936
#Fabian Tamm 1947
#King Gustaf VI Adolf 1950
# Stig H:son Ericson 1961
# The Duke of Halland 1969
#Åke Lindemalm 1970
#King Carl XVI Gustaf 1973
#Bengt Lundvall 1978
#Bror Stefenson 1991

See also

* List of admirals of Sweden
* Military ranks of the Swedish Armed Forces

Footnotes

References

Notes

Print

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*{{cite book , last=Stenfelt , first=Gustaf , title=Svenskt nautiskt lexikon: praktisk uppslagsbok för sjömän och maskinfolk, skeppsredare, konsulatpersonal, sjöassuradörer, skeppsmäklare, jurister m.fl. , year=1920 , publisher=Wahlström & Widstrand , location=Stockholm , language=sv , id={{SELIBR, 28204

Four-star officers
Military ranks of the Swedish Navy