Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

Claës Fabian Tamm (13 November 1879 – 4 October 1955) was a

Swedish Navy The Swedish Navy () is the maritime service branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet (), formally sometimes referred to as the Royal Navy () – as well as marine units, the Amph ...

officer. Tamm began his naval career as an acting sub-lieutenant in 1899 and was promoted to sub-lieutenant in 1901. After attending the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College, he became a lieutenant in 1907 and taught at the Royal Swedish Naval Academy. From 1914 to 1917, he served as naval attaché in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

and

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

. Tamm steadily advanced through the ranks, becoming a lieutenant commander in 1918 and head of the Royal Swedish Naval Academy in 1921. He was promoted to rear admiral in 1933 and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the

Coastal Fleet The Coastal Fleet (, Kfl) was until 1994 a Swedish Navy authority with the main task of training the naval ships commanders and crews. After the formation of the authority Swedish Armed Forces in 1994, the Coastal Fleet remained as a unit until ...

that same year. In 1939, he became Chief of the Navy, a position he held until 1945, after which he was promoted to admiral in the reserve in 1947. Outside his military career, he chaired several companies, including Ströms Bruks AB and Rederi AB Svea.

Early life

Tamm was born on 13 November 1879 in

Österbybruk Österbybruk is a locality situated in Östhammar Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 2,272 inhabitants in 2010. Ironworks The Österby works was one of a number mostly in Roslagen, where there were Walloon forges, producing high quality ...

Uppsala County Uppsala County () is a county or '' län'' on the eastern coast of Sweden, whose capital is the city of Uppsala. It borders the counties of Dalarna, Stockholm, Södermanland, Västmanland, Gävleborg, and the Baltic Sea. Province The nor ...

, Sweden, the son of the

Governor of Stockholm The Governor of Stockholm () was the head of the Office of the Governor of Stockholm (, ÖÄ), and as such he was the highest Swedish State official overseeing the affairs in the Stad (Sweden), City of Stockholm between 1634 and 1967. The Govern ...

and cabinet minister, Baron Claës Gustaf Adolf Tamm and his wife Ebba (née Tersmeden). He became a second-class non-commissioned flag officer (''flaggunderofficer av andra graden'') in the

on 4 April 1898, and took the naval officer examination on 1 November 1899.

Career

Tamm was commissioned as a naval officer with the rank of acting sub-lieutenant in the

on 3 November 1899 and promoted to sub-lieutenant on 25 October 1901. He attended the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College from 1904 to 1906 and was promoted to lieutenant on 1 November 1907. Tamm served as adjutant and librarian at the Royal Swedish Naval Academy as well as teacher in

law of war The law of war is a component of international law that regulates the conditions for initiating war (''jus ad bellum'') and the conduct of hostilities (''jus in bello''). Laws of war define sovereignty and nationhood, states and territories, ...

and

maritime law Maritime law or admiralty law is a body of law that governs nautical issues and private maritime disputes. Admiralty law consists of both domestic law on maritime activities, and private international law governing the relationships between pri ...

from 1907 to 1910 and in

naval warfare Naval warfare is combat in and on the sea, the ocean, or any other battlespace involving a major body of water such as a large lake or wide river. The Military, armed forces branch designated for naval warfare is a navy. Naval operations can be ...

from 1910. He was adjutant at the Military Office of the Ministry for Naval Affairs from 1911. On 1 May 1914, he was appointed naval attaché in

and

, a position he held until 20 January 1917. That same year, he became a member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences and served as its secretary from 1918 to 1921. On 1 July 1918, he was appointed assistant military attaché in Berlin, serving until 30 May that year. He became lieutenant commander on 31 December 1918 and was formally promoted to the position on 29 April 1919. Between 1919 and 1921, he served as adjutant to the station commander in

Karlskrona Karlskrona (, , ) is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with a population of 66,675 in 2018. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to ...

. On 13 October 1921, he became head of the Royal Swedish Naval Academy, a position he held until 1925. He was promoted to commander on 16 February 1923 and became head of a department in the Naval Staff from 1926 to 1929. Promoted to captain on 11 February 1927, he formally assumed the position on 1 June 1928. He was a member of the defence inquiry in 1928 and 1929, and served as

flag captain In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a " captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "Firs ...

in the Commander-in-Chief of the

's staff from 1930 to 1931. On 15 April 1931, he was appointed head of the Military Office of the Naval Defence (''Sjöförsvarets kommandoexpedition''). In 1932, he served as an expert at the

World Disarmament Conference The Conference for the Reduction and Limitation of Armaments, generally known as the Geneva Conference or World Disarmament Conference, was an international conference of states held in Geneva, Switzerland, between February 1932 and November 1934 ...

in Geneva. Promoted to rear admiral on 27 January 1933, he officially assumed the role in the navy on 15 April 1933 and, that same year, became Commander-in-Chief of the Coastal Fleet. Tamm was appointed Chief of the Navy and promoted to vice admiral on 20 January 1939 and succeeded Vice Admiral Charles de Champs on 1 April the same year with an appointment until 31 March 1945. He was appointed admiral in the reserve in 1947, two years after he left active service. In addition to his military activities, Tamm was chairman of the board of Ströms Bruks AB, Ljusne-Woxna AB and

Rederi AB Svea Stockholms Rederi AB Svea (originally Sveabolaget, later often referred to as Rederi AB Svea or simply Svea) was a Swedish shipping company founded in the 1870s. It operated a wide variety of ships carrying freight and passengers around the wor ...

(1945–52). Tamm was also chairman of the board of the Association of Army, Navy and Air Film (''Föreningen Armé- Marin- och Flygfilm'') from 1932 to 1939 and board member of AB Finnboda Varv.

Personal life

On 4 January 1908 at Hargs bruk in , he married Baroness Eva Ebba Gustava Beck-Friis (1884–1963), the daughter of Baron och Baroness Anna van Otter.

Death

Tamm died on 4 October 1955. He was interred on 16 October 1955 at

Galärvarvskyrkogården Galärvarvskyrkogården (literally Galley Shipyard Cemetery) is a cemetery on the island of Djurgården in Stockholm, Sweden. It has about 1,300 burial sites and an area of approximately 0.9 hectares. History Galärvarvskyrkogården in Djurgår ...

in Stockholm.

Dates of rank

*3 November 1899 – Acting sub-lieutenant *25 October 1901 – Sub-lieutenant *1 November 1907 –

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

*31 December 1918 – Lieutenant commander *16 February 1923 –

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

*11 February 1927 –

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

*27 January 1933 –

Rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

*1 April 1939 –

Vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

*1947 –

Awards and decorations

Swedish

Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_Grand_Cross_BAR

Commander Grand Cross of the

Order of the Sword The Royal Order of the Sword (officially: ''Royal Order of the Sword''; Swedish: ''Kungliga Svärdsorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry and military decoration created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Or ...

(6 June 1939) * SWE Royal Order of the Sword - Commander 1st Class BAR

Commander 1st Class of the

(15 May 1933) * SWE Royal Order of the Sword - Commander BAR

Commander of the

(6 June 1930) * SWE Royal Order of the Sword - Knight 2nd Class BAR

Knight of the

(5 May 1920) * Knight of the

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish language, Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden''), sometimes translated as the Royal Order of the North Star, is a Swedish order of chivalry created by Frederick I of Sweden, King Frederick I on 23 F ...

(6 JUne 1931) * SWE_Order_of_Vasa_-_Knight_2nd_Class_BAR

Knight of the

Order of Vasa The Royal Order of Vasa () is a Swedish order of chivalry founded on 29 May 1772 by Gustav III, King Gustav III. It is awarded to Swedish citizens for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. His ...

(15 December 1921) * Ribbon bar of the Gustaf V Olympic Medal

King Gustaf V's Olympic Commemorative Medal (''Konung Gustaf V:s olympiska minnesmedalj'') * Swedish Voluntary Motorboat Corps' Gold Medal (''Sveriges frivilliga motorbåtskårs guldmedalj'') * Konung Gustaf V:s olympiska minnesmedalj (1912)

Foreign

Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate Italian unification, the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for ...

* Grand Cross of the

Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars () is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is ''Per aspera ad astra'', meaning "Through hardships towards the ...

Order of the German Eagle The Order of Merit of the German Eagle () was an award of the German Nazi regime, predominantly to foreign diplomats. The Order was instituted on 1 May 1937 by Adolf Hitler. It ceased to be awarded following the collapse of Nazi Germany at the e ...

with Star * Order_of_the_Dannebrog_K1

Commander 1st Class of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...

Commander of the

(15 May 1923) * Order of the Dannebrog R

Knight of the

(22 November 1903) * FIN_Order_of_the_White_Rose_Commander_1st_Class_BAR

Commander 1st Class of the

Order of the White Rose of Finland The Order of the White Rose of Finland (; ) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The ...

FIN Order of the White Rose Commander BAR

Commander of the

(July 1924) * Commander with Star of the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II, known to posterity as St. Olav. Just be ...

POL_Polonia_Restituta_Komandorski_ZG_BAR

Commander 1st Class of the

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...

* Cross of Naval Merit with White Decoration (3 August 1922) * Cavaliere_SSML_BAR

Officer of the

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus () (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the world, tracing its lineage to AD 1098, a ...

(1923) *

Knight 1st Class of the Order of the Griffon (1914) * PRU_Order_of_Crown_ribbon

Knight 3rd Class of the Order of the Crown (1917) * Order_of_Saint_Anna_ribbon_bar

Knight 3rd Class of the Order of St. Anna (1914) * Finnish Defense Corps' cross of merit (''Finska skyddskårernas förtjänstkors'')

Honours

*Member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1914; honorary member in 1933) *Member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences () is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden and was founded on 12 November 1796 by Gustaf Wilhelm af Tibell. The academy is an independent organization and a forum for military (army and air force) and de ...

(1925)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tamm, Fabian 1879 births 1955 deaths Swedish Navy admirals People from Östhammar Municipality Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Members of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences Swedish naval attachés Burials at Galärvarvskyrkogården Tamm family