Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some 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, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

Wilhelm Dyrssen (26 March 1858 – 14 July 1929) was a senior

Swedish Navy The Swedish Navy ( sv, Svenska marinen) is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet () – as well as marine units, the Amphibious Corps (). In Swedish, vessels o ...

officer. He served as minister for naval affairs from 1906 to 1907, and the Inspector of the Navy's Exercises at Sea from 1907 to 1916, as well as commander of the Stockholm Naval Station from 1916 to 1923.

Early life

Dyrssen was born on 26 March 1858 at in ,

Skaraborg County Skaraborg County ( sv, Skaraborgs län ) was a county of Sweden from 1634 until 1997. It was disestablished at the end of 1997 when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg and Bohus and Älvsborg to form Västra Götaland County. The count ...

. He was the son of the landowner Peder Johan Julius Dyrssen and his wife Gustafva Wilhelmina (née Hagerman). Dyrssen was younger brother to (1854–1938) and twin brother of

Gustaf Dyrssen Lieutenant General Gustaf Peder Wilhelm Dyrssen (24 November 1891 – 13 May 1981) was a Swedish Army officer and Olympic modern pentathlete. Early life Dyrssen was born on 24 November 1891 in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of admiral Wi ...

(1858–1934).

Career

Wilhelm Dyrssen and his twin brother Gustaf graduated from the

Royal Swedish Naval Academy The Royal Swedish Naval Academy ( sv, Kungliga Sjökrigsskolan, KSS) was a school for officer training for the Swedish Navy, which operated in various forms between the years 1756 and 1987. History 1683–1791 In 1683, when the charter was issue ...

in autumn 1877. Dyrssen devoted himself as an officer first at the technology of the

naval artillery Naval artillery is artillery mounted on a warship, originally used only for naval warfare and then subsequently used for naval gunfire support, shore bombardment and anti-aircraft roles. The term generally refers to tube-launched projectile-firi ...

and then to staff duty and advancing to higher positions at sea. He studied at the

Artillery and Engineering College Artillery and Engineering College ( sv, Artilleri- och ingenjörhögskolan, AIHS) was a Swedish Army training establishment active between 1878 and 1992, providing courses for artillery officers. It was located within the Stockholm Garrison in Sto ...

from 1880 to 1883, becoming a sub-lieutenant in 1882. From 1883 to 1885, Dyrssen participated in the frigate ''Vanadis'' global circumnavigation. After returning home he served at the

Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration The Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration ( sv, Kungliga Marinförvaltningen, KMF) was the central board of the Swedish Navy in technical and economic terms. It was active between the years 1878 and 1968 when it was disbanded and amalgamated ...

from 1887 to 1889 and as a teacher at the Royal Swedish Naval Academy from 1886 to 1893 and as a cadet officer from 1892 to 1893. Dyrssen became lieutenant in 1888 and served in the

Fleet Staff The Fleet Staff ( sv, Flottans stab) was a Staff (military), staff in the Swedish Navy created in 1884, which corresponded to the General Staff (Sweden), General Staff of the Swedish Army. It consisted of a commander of the rank of a flag officer or ...

from 1889 to 1892 and was head of the Artillery Department at the Naval Station 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 Swed ...

from 1894 to 1899. In 1899, he became head of the Artillery Department at the Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration, a position he stayed in until 1904. Dyrssen was promoted to lieutenant commander in 1898, to commander in 1901 and to captain in 1903. In addition to this, he was hired as an expert on various issues relating to the navy, including the 1902 Warships Building Committee. After being minister for naval affairs from 1906 to 1907 in

Arvid Lindman Salomon Arvid Achates Lindman (19 September 1862 – 9 December 1936) was a Swedish rear admiral, industrialist and conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of Sweden from 1906 to 1911 and again from 1928 to 1930. He was also th ...

's first cabinet, he was called as a member of the committee, which had the task of examining the issue of an adequate

coastal defence ship Coastal defence ships (sometimes called coastal battleships or coast defence ships) were warships built for the purpose of coastal defence, mostly during the period from 1860 to 1920. They were small, often cruiser-sized warships that sacrifi ...

type and whose work resulted in the then under the political feuds much talked-about F-type. He was appointed rear admiral already at 46 years of age in 1904 and became Inspector of the Navy's Exercises at Sea, a position he stayed in until 1916. In 1905, Dyrssen became the Highest Commander (''högste befälhavare'') of the

Coastal Fleet The Coastal Fleet ( sv, Kustflottan, 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 ...

. In this position, he got the opportunity to develop an unshakable calm as well as other solid commander qualities, especially during preparedness along the Swedish west coast in connection with Union crisis in 1905. As inspector he demonstrated an extraordinarily confident glance and an infallible judgment. On his responsible post, he remained even during the first stage of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. In 1910, Dyrssen became a military member of the

Supreme Court of Sweden The Supreme Court of Sweden ( sv, Högsta domstolen, abbreviated ''HD'') is the supreme court and the third and final instance in all civil and criminal cases in Sweden. Before a case can be decided by the Supreme Court, leave to appeal mu ...

and in the year after, he was promoted to vice admiral. He resigned from the position of Highest Commander of the Coastal Fleet in 1916, and was appointed station commander of Stockholm Naval Station. He left active service in 1923 and thereby received the highest of the three admiralty ranks.

Later life

The last years he devoted himself mainly to the management of his property Öråker near Mälarestäket and he also took a leading position as vice chairman in Sweden's Agricultural Employers Central Association (''Sveriges lantarbetsgivares centralförening''), and chairman of the General Electoral League (''Allmänna valmansförbundet'') in

Uppsala County Uppsala County ( sv, Uppsala län) 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. Provi ...

. Dyrssen became a member of the

Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences The Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Örlogsmannasällskapet, KÖMS), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. The Society is an independent organization and a forum for navy and defence i ...

in 1893 and honorary member in 1904. He became a member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Krigsvetenskapsakademien) 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 m ...

in 1899. Dyrssen was editor of the journal ''Tidskrift i Sjöväsendet'' from 1894 to 1898.

Personal life

In 1888, Dyrssen was married to baroness Lizinka af Ugglas (1866–1952), the daughter of and Therese Björnstjerna. He was the father of

and Magnus Dyrssen.

Dates of rank

*1877 – ''

Underlöjtnant ''Underlöjtnant'' (from the German word ''Unterleutnant'') was the lowest officer rank in the Swedish Army from 1835 to 1937 instead of the previous ranks of ''fänrik'' and cornet. was reintroduced in 1914 with the same position as , from 1926 ...

'' *1881 –

Sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...

*1888 –

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

*1898 –

Lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

*1901 –

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

*1903 –

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

*1911 –

Rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

*1917 – Vice admiral *1923 –

Awards

Swedish

Knight and Commander of the Orders of His Majesty the King (

Order of the Seraphim The Royal Order of the Seraphim ( sv, Kungliga Serafimerorden; ''Seraphim'' being a category of angels) is a Swedish order of chivalry created by Frederick I of Sweden, King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword ...

) (1928) * 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 February 23, 1748, together with the Or ...

(6 June 1912) * Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_1st_Class_BAR

Commander 1st Class of the

(1 December 1905) * Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Knight_1st_Class_BAR

Knight 1st Class of the

(1897) *

Order of the Polar Star - Ribbon bar, pre 1975

Knight of the

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim. The Order of the ...

(1900)

Foreign

Grand Cross of the

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

(1913) *

FIN Order of the White Rose Grand Cross BAR

Grand Cross of the

Order of the White Rose of Finland The Order of the White Rose of Finland ( fi, Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunta; sv, Finlands Vita Ros’ orden) 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. ...

(1919) *

Grand Cross of the

Order of the Black Star The Order of the Black Star (''Ordre de l'Étoile Noire'') was an order of knighthood established on 1 December 1889 at Porto-Novo by Toffa, future king of Dahomey (today the Republic of Benin). Approved and recognised by the French government on ...

(between 1909 and 1915) * Cavaliere di gran Croce Regno SSML BAR

Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus ( it, Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro) (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 wo ...

(between 1909 and 1915) * PRU Roter Adlerorden BAR

Knight 1st Class of the

Order of the Red Eagle The Order of the Red Eagle (german: Roter Adlerorden) was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful se ...

(between 1909 and 1915) * PRU Roter Adlerorden BAR

Knight 4th Class of the

(between 1881 and 1905) * PRU Order of Crown ribbon

Knight 1st Class of the Order of the Crown (between 1905 and 1908) * Order of Saint Anna ribbon bar

Knight 1st Class of the

Order of St. Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (russian: Орден Святой Анны; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holst ...

(between 1909 and 1915) * Order St

Knight 1st Class of the

Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus ( pl, Order Św. Stanisława Biskupa Męczennika, russian: Орден Святого Станислава), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Ponia ...

(between 1909 and 1915) * UK Royal Victorian Order ribbon

Grand Cross of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

(17 November 1908) * Legion Honneur Commandeur ribbon

Commander of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

(between 1908 and 1909) * Legion Honneur Officier ribbon

Officer of the

(between 1881 and 1905) *

The Royal Order of the Crown of Hawai'i (1875-1892)

Officer of the

Royal Order of the Crown of Hawaii Royal Order of the Crown of Hawaii is an order founded in 1882 by king Kalākaua Kalākaua (David Laʻamea Kamananakapu Mahinulani Naloiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua; November 16, 1836 – January 20, 1891), sometimes called The Mer ...

(1884)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dyrssen, Wilhelm 1858 births 1929 deaths Swedish Navy admirals People from Skövde Municipality Members of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword Knights of the Order of the Polar Star Grand Crosses of the Order of the Dannebrog Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Swedish twins