List of admirals of Croatia
Admirals from Croatia served in many naval forces on the eastern Adriatic seaboard. First admirals (Jakov de Cessamis Šubić and his son Matej, Rafael de Sorba etc.), were mentioned in 1350s as commanders of the royal fleet of Croatian-Hungarian king Louis I.[1][2] Officers from today's Croatia served in various navies in control of Croatia or its parts. For instance, Jusuf Mašković served as a grand admiral of Ottoman Navy in 1630s; Ivan of Vrana was a Venetian admiral in late 16th century, taking part in the Battle of Lepanto.[3] Croatian personnel served in the Venetian Navy until its demise in 1797 and, in modern times, in Habsburg/Austro-Hungarian Navy as Croatia was a constituent part of the monarchy (until 1918). First Croatian admirals distinguished themselves commanding Habsburg ships in First Italian War of Independence in 1848.
Croatian admirals helped lead Austro-Hungarian Navy through World War I and later oversaw the creation and development of Royal Yugoslav Navy in the interwar years (1918-1941). In World War II they found themselves on opposing sides, as some chose to collaborate and joined rather limited Navy of Independent State of Croatia (1941–45), while others founded guerilla Partisan Navy, which liberated the Croatian Adriatic and later developed into Yugoslav Navy (1942–91). Croatian admirals co-led Yugoslav Navy during the Cold War, overseeing its development of submarines and frigates, strengthening its capacities. After 1991, breaking off from Yugoslav Navy, Croatian admirals steered Croatian Navy through the Croatian War of Independence from Yugoslavia (1991-5) and worked on joining NATO (2004).
What follows is a list of naval officers from the territory of today's Republic of Croatia. For a list of admirals of the modern, post-1991 Croatian Navy, see List of Croatian Navy admirals. Historical Croat community in Boka Kotorska in Montenegro has produced a long line of admirals (Russian Grand admiral Matija Zmajević, Austrian vice-admiral Aleksandar Bujaković (1792-1870) etc.), but these are excluded from this list.
Fleet Admiral
[edit]In Yugoslav Navy, Branko Mamula was promoted to the rank of the Fleet Admiral in 1983. In Croatian Navy, rank of Fleet Admiral was introduced in 1995 as the naval equivalent to the five-star rank of the OF-10. Commending him on his role as the commander of Croatian Navy during the War of Independence (1991-5), president Tuđman conferred the rank on admiral Letica. Sveto Letica-Barba was the first and so far the only Croatian flag officer to hold this rank.
Name | Born | Died | Date of rank | Navy | Crew/Year | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sveto Letica | 4 April 1926 | 6 November 2001 | March 1996 | ![]() ![]() |
1950 | Served in Yugoslav Navy 1942–86, retired as viceadmiral and retroactively promoted to the rank of admiral. Reactivated in 1991 |
Branko Mamula | 30 May 1921 | 19 October 2021 | 22 December 1983 | ![]() |
1958[4] |
Admirals
[edit]Name | Born | Died | Date of rank | Navy | Crew/Year | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mate Jerković | 1905 | 1980 | 1956 | ![]() |
People's Hero of Yugoslavia | |
Bogdan Pecotić | 1912 | 1998 | 1968 | ![]() |
People's Hero of Yugoslavia | |
Ljubo Truta | 1915 | 1991 | 1969 | ![]() |
People's Hero of Yugoslavia | |
Maximilian Njegovan | 31 October 1858 | 1 July 1930 | 23 February 1917 | ![]() |
1877 | Commander of Austro-Hungarian Navy 1917-8 |
Dragutin Prica | 1867 | 1960 | 6 September 1925 | ![]() |
1885 | Served as a rear admiral in Austro-Hungarian Navy until 1918 |
Viktor Wickerhauser | 1866 | 1940 | 30 April 1930 | ![]() |
1885 | Served as a rear admiral (1917) in Austro-Hungarian Navy until 1918[6] |
Božidar Grubišić | 1932 | 2021[7] | 1988 | ![]() ![]() |
Joined Croatian Navy in 1991, his earlier rank confirmed | |
Ivo Purišić | 1920 | 1976 | 1974 | ![]() |
||
Petar Šimić | 1932 | 1990 | 1989 | ![]() |
||
Davor Domazet-Lošo | 1948 | 2000 | ![]() |
retired in 2000 | ||
Vid Stipetić | 1937 | 2011 | 2002 | ![]() |
1959 | retired in 2002[8] |
Robert Hranj | 1962 | 11 March 2020[9] | ![]() |
1985[10] | retired in June 2024[11] | |
Tihomir Vilović | 1924 | 2008 | 5 July 1984 | ![]() |
Retired as viceadmiral in April 1984; in July retroactively promoted to the rank of an admiral |
Vice Admirals
[edit]Name | Born | Died | Date of rank | Navy | Crew/Year | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zdravko Kardum | 1953 | 4 September 2023[12] | 2009 | ![]() |
retired in 2011 | |
Ante Urlić | 1957 | 2013 | ![]() |
1977 | retired in 2014 | |
Davorin Kajić | 1957 | 2020 | 1995[13] | ![]() |
1958 | retired in 2002 |
Edgar Angeli | 1892 | 1945 | 1943 | ![]() |
||
Andrija Božanić | 1906 | 1989 | 1961 | ![]() |
People's Hero of Yugoslavia | |
Josip Grubelić | 1918 | 2006 | 22 December 1971 | ![]() |
served as an NCO in Royal Yugoslav Navy | |
Mladen Marušić | 1923 | 2009 | 22 December 1976 | ![]() |
||
Benko Matulić | 1914 | 1976 | 22 December 1968 | ![]() |
||
Milan Vraneš | 1922 | 22 December 1975 | ![]() |
|||
Josip Žužul | 1923 | 1993 | 22 December 1974 | ![]() |
||
Ante Paić | 1923 | 2009 | 22 December 1977 | ![]() |
||
Momčilo Novaković | 1916 | 1988 | 22 December 1967 | ![]() |
People's Hero of Yugoslavia | |
Nikola Aračić | 1915 | 1978 | 22 December 1966 | ![]() |
||
Pero Bogunović | 1924 | 2012 | 22 December 1978 | ![]() |
||
Veljko Dokmanović | 1926 | 1982 | 22 December 1978 | ![]() |
1/ | |
Nikola Steinfel | 1889 | 1945 | May 1944 | ![]() |
1909 | retired as SotL Captain of Royal yugoslav Navy in Feb 1940 |
Marijan Polić | 1876 | 1958 | 6 September 1935 | ![]() |
1893 | Retired in April 1940 |
Dušan Rakić | 1943 | 2020 | 1994 | ![]() |
117/1965[14] | left Yugoslav navy (SFRY) in 1992 as captain (kbb) |
Rear Admirals
[edit]![]() |
Name | Born | Died | Date of rank | Navy | Crew/Year | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ivo Raffanelli | 1965 | 18 September 2019[15] | ![]() |
1987 | ||
Predrag Stipanović | 1964 | 2016 | ![]() |
1986 | ||
Tihomir Erceg | 1959 | 2019 | 2015[16] | ![]() |
1982 | retired in 2015 |
Julijan Luterotti[17] | 1884 | 1956 | 1 December 1937 | ![]() ![]() |
1902 | In 1941 commander-in-chief of Royal Yugoslav Navy[18] Later joined ISC Navy, earlier rank confirmed |
Janko Vuković | 7 October 1871 | 1 November 1918 | 30 October 1918 | ![]() |
1889 | Served in Austro-Hungarian Navy as captain. Promoted to the rank of rear admiral by the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs |
Đuro Jakčin | 1889 | 1944 | 10 April 1941 | ![]() |
1909 | |
Stanko Parmać | 1913 | 1982 | 22 December 1954 | ![]() |
People's Hero of Yugoslavia | |
Dinko Šurkalo | 1920 | 2010 | 1969 | ![]() |
People's Hero of Yugoslavia | |
Marko Eugen Florio | 1820 | 1906 | 1889[19] | ![]() |
||
Vid von Vončina[20] | 1867 | 1935 | 11 May 1918 | ![]() |
1885 | |
Ivan Buratović[21] | 1785 | 1849 | 28 August 1848 | ![]() |
von Flaggentreu | |
Juraj Bonači[22] | 1903 | 1971 | 1958 | ![]() |
1929 | |
Ante Kronja | 1915 | 1985 | 22 December 1961 | ![]() |
||
Alojz Vjekoslav Bačić | 1864 | 1950 | 29 December 1919 | ![]() |
1882 | |
Artur Catinelli Obradić-Bevilacqua | 1867 | 1939 | 1 May 1918 | ![]() |
1886 | |
Paul Stupar | 1866 | 1928 | 1 May 1918 | ![]() |
1886 | |
Mario August Petar Ratković von Modruš | 1870 | 1918 | 1 November 1918 | ![]() |
1888 | |
Josip Erceg | 1936 | 2022 | 22 December 1986 | ![]() ![]() |
1957[23] | Joined Croatian Navy, his earlier rank confirmed |
Martin Matošević | 1933 | 2023[24] | 22 December 1987 | ![]() |
||
Fridrih Moretti | 1932 | 22 December 1990 | ![]() |
5/ | ||
Đuro Pojer | 1935 | 22 December 1987 | ![]() |
9/ | ||
Ante Budimir (admiral) | 1945 | 1993 | ![]() |
retired in 2002 | ||
Vladimir Marijašević | 1886[25] | 1961 | 1 December 1937 | ![]() ![]() |
Retired in 1940; later joined ISC Navy,[26] earlier rank confirmed | |
Tomo Tijanić | 1887 | 1953 | 1 December 1939 | ![]() ![]() |
Joined ISC Navy,[27] earlier rank confirmed | |
Milan Domainko | 1889 | 1968 | 6 September 1940 | ![]() |
1909[28] | Commander in chief of Royal Yugoslav Navy in April 1941 |
Branimir Radelić | 1916 | 1998 | 1970 | ![]() |
||
Silvius Enea Luigi Francesco Sigismondo Bersa Edler von Leidenthal | 1854 | 1913 | 3 January 1910 | ![]() |
born in Šibenik | |
Emanuel Haračić | 1858 | 1922 | 10 August 1917 | ![]() |
retired in 1907, reactivated, promoted to Titular RAdm, retired in April 1918 |
Sources
[edit]Yugoslav Navy
[edit]- SotL Captain Pecotić, Kuzma (1947-2012). List of Yugoslav Navy admirals
- Petar Strčić. On Admiral Petar Simic
- List of admirals with active duty period and year a rank was attained
Royal Yugoslav Navy
[edit]- Bjelajac, Mile (2004). Generali i admirali Kraljevine Jugoslavije 1918—1941. Beograd: Institut za noviju istoriju Srbije. ISBN 978-86-7005-039-6.
- List of Royal Yugoslav admirals and generals (in Serbian)
- List of Royal Yugoslav naval officers who served in collaborationist Croatian Navy
Austro-Hungarian Navy
[edit]- Schmidt-Brentano, Antonio. Die k. k. bzw. k. u. k. Generalität 1816-1918. Oesterreichischer Staatsarchiv, 2007
- Dubrović, Ervin. Vojno-pomorska akademija u Rijeci 1866.-1914. Rijeka: Pomorski fakultet u Rijeci/Muzej Grada Rijeke, 2011.
- "Rang- und Einteilungsliste Marine 1876-1918 | Könyvtár | Hungaricana". library.hungaricana.hu. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
References
[edit]- ^ Grbavac, Branka (2008). "Zadarski plemići kao kraljevski vitezovi u doba Ludovika I. Anžuvinca". Acta Histriae (in Croatian). 16 (1–2): 89–116.
- ^ Klaić, V. (1900): Admirali ratne mornarice hrvatske godine 1358.–1413. Vjestnik Kr. hrvatsko-slavonsko-dalmatinskog zemaljskog arkiva, 2. Zagreb, Kr. hrvatskoslavonsko-dalmatinski zemaljski arkiv, 32–40.
- ^ Čoralić, Lovorka; Prijatelj Pavičić, Ivana (1 December 2005). "Ivan iz Vrane – mletački admiral u Lepantskom boju (1571.)". Povijesni prilozi (in Croatian). 24 (29): 127–149. ISSN 0351-9767.
- ^ "Bitke i sudbine admirala sa Korduna". 7 October 2020. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- ^ a b c "Socialist Yugoslavia: Naval rank flags (1956-1991)". fotw.info. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ Flagge marineverband.at
- ^ "Udruga VeDRa". Facebook. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ "Umro admiral Vid Stipetić". tportal.hr. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ "Načelniku Glavnog stožera Hranju dodijeljen čin admirala pomorstva". MORH (in Croatian). 11 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ "Komodor Robert Hranj spašavat će HRM od potopa". 057info. 5 November 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ Kašpar, Krešimir (25 June 2024). "Održana konferencija „Doprinos branitelja u obrani zemlje i potreba osposobljavanja mladih" | Hrvatski Generalski Zbor – CROATIAN GENERALS ASSOCIATION" (in Croatian). Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ "Umro Zdravko Kardum, bivši zapovjednik Hrvatske ratne mornarice". Dnevnik.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Hrvatski biografski leksikon". hbl.lzmk.hr. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ "Лички адмирали – Удружење Госпићана "Никола Тесла", Београд" (in Serbian). Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- ^ "VIDEO/28. OBLJETNICA OSNUTKA 'Hrvatska ratna mornarica imala je veliku ulogu u obrani Dubrovnika'". DuList.hr (in Croatian). 20 September 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ "Održana komemoracija kontraadmiralu Tihomiru Ercegu". MORH (in Croatian). 11 March 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ "ARHiNET - Luterotti, Julijan". arhinet.arhiv.hr. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ Catalogue description Appointment of Rear-Admiral Luterotti as Commander-in-Chief of Yugoslav Navy. Code 92... 1941.
- ^ "Hrvatski biografski leksikon". hbl.lzmk.hr. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ Dokumentation, Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon und biographische (2003). "Vončina, Vitus von;" (in German). Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ "Hrvatski biografski leksikon". hbl.lzmk.hr. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ "Hrvatski biografski leksikon". hbl.lzmk.hr. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ "Otvoreno more - U Splitu tiho sahranjen umirovljeni admiral Hrvatske ratne mornarice Josip Erceg". slobodnadalmacija.hr (in Croatian). 28 November 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ "MARTIN MATOŠEVIĆ | Istarski.hr". 24 October 2023. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ "Tsingtau - historisch-biographisches Projekt". www.tsingtau.info. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ "Služba u Hrvatskoj vojsci", Hrvatski narod 122, 16/6/1941
- ^ "SUDBINA PRIPADNIKA KOMANDNOG SASTAVA VOJSKE KRALJEVINE JUGOSLAVIJE - My spiritual exercises - Blog.hr". blog.dnevnik.hr. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ^ Strauss, Heinz (21 July 2017). K.u.k Linienschiffsleutnant Otto Bielobradek-Bernau: Ein sicher navigierender Torpedobootskommandant in turbulenten Zeiten (in German). Pro Business. ISBN 978-3-86460-693-9.