List of admirals of Croatia

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Birthplaces of 4- and 5-star (fleet) admirals in 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

Rank Flag
1991–
1956-91?–
Fleet Admiral

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  Yugoslav Navy  Croatian Navy 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  Yugoslav Navy 1958[4]

Admirals

Rank Flags
1991-
1956–1991[5]
1941–1945
1918–1941
1867–1918
Admiral
Name Born Died Date of rank Navy Crew/Year Notes
Mate Jerković 1905 1980 1956  Yugoslav Navy People's Hero of Yugoslavia
Bogdan Pecotić 1912 1998 1968  Yugoslav Navy People's Hero of Yugoslavia
Ljubo Truta 1915 1991 1969  Yugoslav Navy People's Hero of Yugoslavia
Maximilian Njegovan 31 October 1858 1 July 1930 23 February 1917  Austro-Hungarian Navy 1877 Commander of Austro-Hungarian Navy 1917-8
Dragutin Prica 1867 1960 6 September 1929  Royal Yugoslav Navy 1885 Served as a rear admiral in Austro-Hungarian Navy until 1918
Viktor Wickerhauser 1866 1940 30 April 1930  Royal Yugoslav Navy 1885 Served as a rear admiral (1917) in Austro-Hungarian Navy until 1918[6]
Božidar Grubišić 1932 2021[7] 1988  Yugoslav Navy
 Croatian Navy		 Joined Croatian Navy in 1991, his earlier rank confirmed
Ivo Purišić 1920 1976 1974  Yugoslav Navy
Petar Šimić 1932 1990 1989  Yugoslav Navy
Davor Domazet-Lošo 1948 2000  Croatian Navy retired in 2000
Vid Stipetić 1937 2011 2002  Croatian Navy 1959 retired in 2002[8]
Robert Hranj 1962 11 March 2020[9]  Croatian Navy 1985[10] retired in June 2024[11]
Tihomir Vilović 1924 2008 5 July 1984  Yugoslav Navy Retired as viceadmiral in April 1984; in July retroactively promoted to the rank of an admiral

Vice Admirals

Rank Flags
1991-
1956–1991[5]
1941–1945
1918–1941
1867–1918
Vice Admiral
Name Born Died Date of rank Navy Crew/Year Notes
Zdravko Kardum 1953 4 September 2023[12] 2009  Croatian Navy retired in 2011
Ante Urlić 1957 2013  Croatian Navy 1977 retired in 2014
Davorin Kajić 1957 2020 1995[13]  Croatian Navy 1958 retired in 2002
Edgar Angeli 1892 1945 1943  Navy of the Independent State of Croatia
Andrija Božanić 1906 1989 1961  Yugoslav Navy People's Hero of Yugoslavia
Josip Grubelić 1918 2006 22 December 1971  Yugoslav Navy served as an NCO in Royal Yugoslav Navy
Mladen Marušić 1923 2009 22 December 1976  Yugoslav Navy
Benko Matulić 1914 1976 22 December 1968  Yugoslav Navy
Milan Vraneš 1922 22 December 1975  Yugoslav Navy
Josip Žužul 1923 1993 22 December 1974  Yugoslav Navy
Ante Paić 1923 2009 22 December 1977  Yugoslav Navy
Momčilo Novaković 1916 1988 22 December 1967  Yugoslav Navy People's Hero of Yugoslavia
Nikola Aračić 1915 1978 22 December 1966  Yugoslav Navy
Pero Bogunović 1924 2012 22 December 1978  Yugoslav Navy
Veljko Dokmanović 1926 1982 22 December 1978  Yugoslav Navy 1/
Nikola Steinfel 1889 1945 May 1944  Navy of the Independent State of Croatia 1909 retired as SotL Captain of Royal yugoslav Navy in Feb 1940
Marijan Polić 1876 1958 6 September 1935  Royal Yugoslav Navy 1893 Retired in April 1940
Dušan Rakić 1943 2020 1994  Yugoslav War Navy 117/1965[14] left Yugoslav navy (SFRY) in 1992 as captain (kbb)

Rear Admirals

Rank Flags
1991-
1956–1991[5]
1941–1945
1918–1941
1867–1918
Rear Admiral
Name Born Died Date of rank Navy Crew/Year Notes
Ivo Raffanelli 1965 18 September 2019[15]  Croatian Navy 1987
Predrag Stipanović 1964 2016  Croatian Navy 1986
Tihomir Erceg 1959 2019 2015[16]  Croatian Navy 1982 retired in 2015
Julijan Luterotti[17] 1884 1956 1 December 1937  Royal Yugoslav Navy
 Navy of the Independent State of Croatia		 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  State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs Navy 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  Navy of the Independent State of Croatia 1909
Stanko Parmać 1913 1982 22 December 1954  Yugoslav Navy People's Hero of Yugoslavia
Dinko Šurkalo 1920 2010 1969  Yugoslav Navy People's Hero of Yugoslavia
Marko Eugen Florio 1820 1906 1889[19]  Austro-Hungarian Navy
Vid von Vončina[20] 1867 1935 11 May 1918  Austro-Hungarian Navy 1885
Ivan Buratović[21] 1785 1849 28 August 1848  Austria Navy von Flaggentreu
Juraj Bonači[22] 1903 1971 1958  Yugoslav Navy 1929
Ante Kronja 1915 1985 22 December 1961  Yugoslav Navy
Alojz Vjekoslav Bačić 1864 1950 29 December 1919  Austro-Hungarian Navy 1882
Artur Catinelli Obradić-Bevilacqua 1867 1939 1 May 1918  Austro-Hungarian Navy 1886
Paul Stupar 1866 1928 1 May 1918  Austro-Hungarian Navy 1886
Mario August Petar Ratković von Modruš 1870 1918 1 November 1918  Austro-Hungarian Navy 1888
Josip Erceg 1936 2022 22 December 1986  Yugoslav Navy
 Croatian Navy		 1957[23] Joined Croatian Navy, his earlier rank confirmed
Martin Matošević 1933 2023[24] 22 December 1987  Yugoslav Navy
Fridrih Moretti 1932 2024[25] 22 December 1990  Yugoslav Navy 5/
Đuro Pojer 1935 2008 22 December 1987  Yugoslav Navy 9/
Ante Budimir (admiral) 1945 1993  Croatian Navy retired in 2002
Vladimir Marijašević 1886[26] 1961 1 December 1937  Royal Yugoslav Navy
 Navy of the Independent State of Croatia		 Retired in 1940; later joined ISC Navy,[27] earlier rank confirmed
Tomo Tijanić 1887 1953 1 December 1939  Royal Yugoslav Navy
 Navy of the Independent State of Croatia		 Joined ISC Navy,[28] earlier rank confirmed
Milan Domainko 1889 1968 6 September 1940  Royal Yugoslav Navy 1909[29] Commander in chief of Royal Yugoslav Navy in April 1941
Branimir Radelić 1916 1998 1970  Yugoslav Navy
Silvius Enea Luigi Francesco Sigismondo Bersa Edler von Leidenthal 1854 1913 3 January 1910  Austro-Hungarian Navy born in Šibenik
Emanuel Haračić 1858 1922 10 August 1917  Austro-Hungarian Navy retired in 1907, reactivated, promoted to Titular RAdm, retired in April 1918

Sources

Yugoslav Navy

Royal Yugoslav Navy

  • 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

References

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