Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Henrik Lange (27 May 1908 – 5 November 2000) was a

Swedish Coastal Artillery The Swedish Coastal Artillery () has its origin in the Archipelago Artillery that was raised in 1866. The Coastal Artillery was formed from the Archipelago Artillery, the Marine Regiment and parts of the Artillery in 1902. Kustartilleriet, abbr ...

officer. Lange had a distinguished military career in the Swedish Coastal Artillery, beginning in 1930 as a commissioned officer. He quickly advanced through the ranks, becoming a lieutenant in 1933 and a captain by 1939. Lange held various key positions, including teacher at the

Royal Swedish Naval Academy The Royal Swedish Naval Academy (, 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 issued that "those who were propo ...

, adjutant to the Chief of the Swedish Coastal Artillery, and head of a 15 cm artillery battery during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1950 and colonel in 1954, eventually becoming the Inspector of the Swedish Coastal Artillery in 1961. In 1964, Lange was appointed Chief of the Naval Staff, and in 1968, he became the military commander of the

Western Military District The Western Military District () was a Military districts of Russia, military district of Russia, in existence from 2010 until its abolishment as a unitary military command on February 26, 2024, succeeded by the newly reconstituted Moscow Mil ...

, where he served until his retirement as a lieutenant general in 1972. In addition to his military roles, Lange was actively involved in various military and sports organizations, including serving as deputy chairman of the Central Federation for Voluntary Military Training and chairman of the Swedish Sport Shooting Association. He also contributed to local politics as a member of the Lidingö City Council and held leadership positions within the

Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences The Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (, 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 issues. Fellowship is limited to 120 ...

Early life

Lange was born on 27 May 1908 in

Nacka Nacka () is the municipal seat of Nacka Municipality and part of Stockholm urban area in Sweden. The municipality's name harks back to a 16th-century industrial operation established by the Crown at Nacka farmstead where conditions for water mi ...

, Stockholm County, Sweden, the son of Karl Lange, an accountant, and his wife Märtha (née Lagercrantz), a bank clerk. He passed ''

studentexamen Studentexamen (Swedish for "students' examination" or "students' degree"), earlier also ''mogenhetsexamen'' ("maturity examination") was the name of the university entrance examination in Sweden from the 17th century to 1968. From 1862 to 1968, ...

'' at Nya Elementarskolan in 1926 and immediately enrolled at the

Career

Military career

Lange was commissioned as an officer in the

in 1930 with the rank of ''

fänrik ''Fänrik'' () ( in the Swedish Army/Air Force, Acting sub-lieutenant in the Navy) is a company grade officer rank. In the army/airforce, it ranks above sergeant and below lieutenant. In the navy, it ranks above sergeant and below sub-lieutenan ...

''. He became lieutenant in 1933 and attended the Royal Central Gymnastics Institute from 1933 to 1934 and the

Royal Swedish Naval Staff College The Royal Swedish Naval Staff College (, KSHS) was a Swedish Navy training establishment between 1898 and 1961, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Swedish Navy's staff college, which provided advanced training for office ...

from 1935 to 1936 and served as

regimental adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commiss ...

Karlskrona Coastal Artillery Regiment The Karlskrona Coastal Artillery Regiment (), designation KA 2, was a Swedish Navy coastal artillery regiment of the Swedish Armed Forces which operated between 1902 and 2000. The unit was based in Karlskrona. History Formation of Swedish Coasta ...

(KA 2) from 1936 to 1937. Lange attended the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College, where he completed the general course in 1936 and the two-year staff course in 1939. He was promoted to captain in 1939 and served as a teacher at the

from 1940 to 1942. During the first years of the war, he also served as an adjutant to the Chief of the Swedish Coastal Artillery, and in 1942 he became head of a 15 cm artillery battery 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 ...

. During the troubled and cold winter of 1942, he participated with a mobile 15 cm artillery battery during the

Jämtland Jämtland () is a historical provinces of Sweden, province () in the centre of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders Härjedalen and Medelpad to the south, Ångermanland to the east, Lapland, Sweden, Lapland to the north and Trøndelag and Norw ...

field service exercises led by Major General

Helge Jung General (Sweden), General Helge Victor Jung (23 March 1886 – 3 January 1978) was a Swedish Army officer. Helge Jung had a distinguished military career in the Swedish Army. He began as a volunteer in 1904, graduated from the Military Academy Kar ...

. The artillery battery was grouped with firing direction towards the Norwegian border, but the order was that it would not be camouflaged. It was primarily a demonstration of strength, to show the Germans in Norway that there was modern long-range heavy artillery ready to fire on the border area. He was promoted to major in 1944, and served as battalion commander in Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Detachment (KA 4) in 1945 and was head of department in the Coastal Artillery Inspectorate (''Kustartilleriinspektionen'') in 1948. The war had brought with it a strong technological development. In 1946, Henrik Lange underwent training in radar service with the

Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...

in various locations in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, and in 1948 he participated in the

Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration The Royal Swedish Naval Materiel Administration (, 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 into the Defence Materiel Adm ...

's radar procurement in the same country. Lange was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1950 and served as commanding officer of the Swedish Coast Artillery School (''Kustartilleriets skjutskola'', KAS) from 1950 to 1954. In 1954 he attended the Swedish Infantry Combat School, and was promoted to colonel and was appointed Chief of Section I in the Naval Staff. In 1957, Lange was appointed commanding officer of Gothenburg Coastal Artillery Defence with Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Regiment (KA 4). In 1958 he was appointed

Defence District Commander The Defence District Commander (, Fobef) within the Swedish Armed Forces was a senior commanding officer who led forces in a geographical/military territorial district, or within a specific area of responsibility. The post was created in 1942 in co ...

of Gothenburg and Bohus County as well as Halland Defence District (Fo 32/31) as well as commanding officer of Gothenburg Coastal Artillery Defence (GbK). Lange attended the

Royal Swedish Army Staff College The Royal Swedish Army Staff College (, KHS) was a Swedish Army training establishment between 1866 and 1961, providing courses for army officers. It was the home of the Swedish Army's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers ...

in 1959 and in 1961 he was promoted to major general and appointed Inspector of the Swedish Coastal Artillery. Lange served in this position for three years and was then Chief of the Naval Staff from 1964 to 1968 and military commander of the

from 1968 to 1972 when he was promoted to lieutenant general and retired from the military.

Other work

Lange was deputy chairman of the Central Federation for Voluntary Military Training (''Centralförbundet för Befälsutbildning'') from 1964 to 1970, a member of the Real Estate Board of the Swedish Armed Forces (''Försvarets fastighetsnämnd'') from 1954 to 1957 and of the National wedishBoard of the Swedish Military Sports Association (''Sveriges militära idrottsförbund'') from 1947 to 1950. He was secretary there from 1955 to 1957 and chairman from 1957 as well as chairman of its federation board from 1967 to 1972. Lange was also a board member of the Swedish Fencing Association (''Svenska Fäktförbundet'') from 1948 to 1956, chairman of the ''Göteborgs sportskyttar'' ("Gothenburg's Sport Shooters") from 1957 to 1961, of Stockholm Sport Shooting Federation (''Stockholms sportskytteförbund'') from 1961 to 1964 and of the Swedish Sport Shooting Association (''Svenska Sportskytteförbundet'', SSF) from 1961 to 1964. Lange was a member of

Lidingö Lidingö (), also known in its definite form Lidingön and as Lidingölandet, is an island in the inner Stockholm archipelago, northeast of Stockholm, Sweden. In 2023, the population of the Lidingö urban area on the island was 48,162. It is the ...

City Council from 1963 to 1964. Lange was chairman of Department II of the

from 1965 to 1968.

Personal life

In 1934, Lange married Birgitta Cedercrona (1913–2005), the daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Hjalmar Cedercrona and Carin Kugelberg. He was the father of Carin (born 1936), Märtha (born 1938) and Carl-Henrik (born 1942).

Death

Lange died on 5 November 2000 in

and was interred in

Lidingö Cemetery Lidingö Cemetery () is a cemetery located adjacent to Lidingö Church in Stockholm County, Sweden. It is centrally located on the island of Lidingö at an elevation adjacent to Kyrkviken's southern shore. South-west of the church is Hersbyholm ...

on 12 December 2000.

Dates of rank

*1930 – Second lieutenant *1933 –

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 ...

*1939 –

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 ...

*1944 –

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

*1950 – Lieutenant colonel *1954 –

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

*1961 – Major general *1972 –

Lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Awards and decorations

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 1968) * Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_1st_Class_BAR

Commander 1st Class of the

(24 November 1960) * Order_of_the_Vasa_-_Ribbon_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 ...

SWE_Home_Guard_Royal_Medal_of_Merit_ribbon

Home Guard Medal of Merit in Gold * For Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm ribbon

Medal for Noble Deeds in gold (1933) * Swedish Central Federation for Voluntary Military Training Medal of Merit in silver * Swedish Women's Voluntary Defence Organization Royal Medal of Merit in gold *

Swedish Civil Protection Association Merit Badge The Swedish Civil Protection Association Merit Badge (, SCFGFt/SFt/BFt) is a Swedish medal awarded by the Swedish Civil Protection Association (''Sveriges Civilförsvarsförbund'', SCF) for sustained, exceptional service in active association work ...

in gold *

Swedish Auxiliary Naval Corps The National Association of Naval Volunteer Corps (, SVK RF), commonly known as the Swedish Auxiliary Naval Corps (, SVK) is a Swedish auxiliary defence organization that cooperate with the Swedish Armed Forces. Task The task of SNV is to giv ...

's Gold Medal (''Sjövärnskårens guldmedalj'') * Swedish Military Sports Association's Gold Medal (''Sveriges militära idrottsförbunds guldmedalj'') * (''?:s guldmedalj'', SVFIGM) * Swedish Fencing Association's Gold Medal (''Svenska fäktförbundets guldmedalj'') * Bohus County Officers' Association's Gold Medal (''Bohusläns befälsförbunds guldmedalj'') * Gothenburg Officers' Association's Gold Medal (''Göteborgs befälsförbunds guldmedalj'') * Halland Officers' Association's Gold Medal (''Hallands befälsförbunds guldmedalj'') * Coastal Artillery Reserve Officer's Badge of Honor (''Kustartilleriets reservofficerares hederstecken'') * Army Shooting Medal (''Arméns skyttemedalj'')

Honours

*Member of the

(1951) *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 ...

(1954) *Honorary member of the

(1961)

Footnotes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lange, Henrik 1908 births 2000 deaths Swedish Coastal Artillery lieutenant generals Military personnel from Stockholm Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword Knights of the Order of Vasa Members of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences