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 ...

Herman Georg Waldemar Wrangel (30 March 1859 – 13 January 1938) was a senior officer in the

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 ...

. He served as commanding officer of the

for 15 years (1909–1924). Wrangel served as secretary, member and chairman of a number of committees and commissions. Wrangel was also a member of the

Upper House An upper house is one of two Legislative chamber, chambers of a bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restricted p ...

of the

Riksdag The Riksdag ( , ; also or , ) is the parliament and the parliamentary sovereignty, supreme decision-making body of the Kingdom of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral parliament with 349 members (), elected proportional rep ...

and a member of the Committee on Defence as well as of the Committee of Supply.

Early life

Wrangel was born on 30 March 1859 in Klara Parish,

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, Sweden, the third son of the then lieutenant, later colonel Erik ''Fredrik'' Wrangel (1816–1896) and his wife Katarina Maria Gustafva Ehrenstam, a daughter of minister Johan Fredrik Ehrenstam and his wife (née af Trolle). Through this mother, Herman Wrangel had naval ancestry: before his appointment as head of the Ministry for Naval Affairs, his grandfather was a colonel and second-in-command of the Swedish Navy Construction Corps. His grandmother was the granddaughter of admiral Henrik af Trolle, together with Chapman in his time the innovator of the

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 ...

. On his father's side he belonged to the branch of the old extensive Wrangel family, which in a younger lineage culminated in the field marshal, equally famous for his warlike exploits on land and at sea, Count

Carl Gustaf Wrangel ''Fältmarskalk'' Carl Gustaf Wrangel (also Carl Gustav von Wrangel; 23 December 1613 – 5 July 1676) was a Swedish statesman and military commander who commanded the Swedish forces in the Thirty Years' War, as well as the Torstenson, Bremen, ...

. Wrangel was the brother of Carl Wrangel (1855–1913), Lieutenant General Johan ''Gustaf'' Fabian Wrangel (1858–1923) and professor Ewert Wrangel (1863–1940). He became a student at the Royal Swedish Naval Academy in 1873 and a sea cadet in 1877 and a cadet non-commissioned officer in 1878. Wrangel graduated in 1879 and was appointed acting sub-lieutenant (''underlöjtnant'') in the Swedish Navy the same year. Wrangel then attended the Royal Central Gymnastics Institute from 1882 to 1884.

Career

Military career

Wrangel was promoted to sub-lieutenant (''löjtnant'') in 1883 and two years later he was called up for service in the

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...

and continued partly there, partly in the

Fleet Staff The Fleet Staff () was a Staff (military), staff in the Swedish Navy created in 1884, that corresponded to the General Staff (Sweden), General Staff in the Swedish Army. It consisted of a commander with the rank of flag officer or Kommendör, capta ...

until 1889, when at the same time as his appointment as captain he was commanded to serve as an

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), 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 ...

in the Military Office of the Ministry for Naval Affairs, which position he held until 1891. In the spring of 1889 he was also posted as a substitute teacher on board cadet ships and maintained this position for three summers in a row and then for seven years he maintained the position as a regular teacher in navigation at the Royal Swedish Naval Academy. In 1893 he also became a teacher in naval warfare after the then lieutenant Wilhelm Dyrssen, and retained this post until 1901. In 1895 he had also been appointed teacher of naval science at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College, in 1898 as teacher of strategy at the Royal Swedish Naval Academy and in 1900 as teacher of tactics at the same educational institution. During his work as a teacher at the Royal Swedish Naval Academy, Wrangel invented and designed a new solution to the problems of astronomical navigation (location determination through two altitude observations), which were then still widely used by Swedish navigators. Wrangel was promoted to lieutenant commander and was posted as head of the Communications Department in the Fleet Staff from 1900 to 1901. After finishing his teaching career at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College in 1903, he also resigned from his remaining teaching positions in the spring of 1906. Wrangel 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 ...

of the staff of the 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 ...

from 1904 to 1907. He was promoted to captain in 1907 and to major general in 1909 and appointed commander of the

. He was promoted to lieutenant general in 1916 and went on a study trip to the Western Front in 1918. He left active service in 1924 and entered the reserve from which he left in 1932. Wrangel was secretary, member and chairman of a number of committees and commissions, including secretary of the Naval Materiel Committees (''Sjökrigsmaterielkommittéerna'') in 1892 and member in 1901, member of the Defence Committee (''Försvarskommittén'') from 1909 to 1910, chairman of the Navigation School Committee (''Navigationsskolekommittén'') from 1910 to 1911 and for experts concerning the organization of the permanent coastal defence in 1913 as well as in the Coastal Fortification Commission (''Kustbefästningskommissionen'') from 1914 to 1918. He was an executive board member of the Swedish Shipping and Navy League (''Föreningen Sveriges flotta'') from 1906 to 1930, and became its chairman in 1924 and its honorary chairman in 1934. From 1913 to 1930 he was chairman of the board of the Swedish Aeronautical Society. Wrangel was also chairman of the board of Stockholms Nya Spårvägs AB from 1905 to 1915.

Political career

Wrangel was a member of the

of the

(where he belonged the

National Party National Party or Nationalist Party may refer to: Active parties * National Party of Australia, commonly known as ''The Nationals'' * Bangladesh: ** Bangladesh Nationalist Party ** Jatiya Party (Ershad) a.k.a. ''National Party (Ershad)'' * Californ ...

) from 1909 to 1910 for

Blekinge County Blekinge County () is a county or '' län'' in the south of Sweden. It borders the Counties of Skåne Scania ( ), also known by its native name of Skåne (), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces () of Sweden ...

and from 1914 to 1919 for

Gothenburg and Bohus County Gothenburg and Bohus County () was a county of Sweden until 1 January 1998, when it was merged with Skaraborg County and Älvsborg County to form Västra Götaland County. The county was named after the city of Gothenburg and the historical pr ...

and including a member of the Committee on Defence in 1914, of the select committee no 2 in 1915, no 1 in 1917 and in 1918 as well as of the Committee of Supply in 1918 and in 1919. Within the Riksdag, Wrangel worked for the strengthening of the defence (especially the navy) and for the increase of construction activities, and towards the end of his term as Member of the Riksdag strongly emphasized the need for frugality with state funds. In this a respect at the Riksdag of 1919, he alone opposed within the Committee of Supply against the index number raised by the committee for the calculation of the cost-of-living bonus. Wrangel's opinion was also followed by the Upper House, but in the joint vote the committee's proposal was approved. Wrangel was also a diligent writer, especially in the naval field, in addition to a number of magazine and newspaper essays as well as articles in ''

Nordisk familjebok (, 'Nordic Family Book') is a Swedish language, Swedish encyclopedia that was published in print from between 1876 and 1993, and that is now fully available in digital form via Project Runeberg at Linköping University. The public domain edit ...

'' as well as several brochures published, among others ''Sjövind, tankar i försvarsfrågan'' (1886), ''Lärobok i teoretisk och praktisk navigation'' (1897; 2nd edition in 1910; translated to Spanish), ''Svenska flottans bok'' (1898) as well as the work based on extensive research ''Kriget i Östersjön 1719–1721'' (2 volumes, 1906–1907), and for two years he conducted research for the part of the

's work ''Sveriges krig åren 1808–09'' ("Sweden's war in the years 1808–09"), which includes the war at sea.

Personal life

Wrangel married on 19 December 1883 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 ...

City Parish (''Karlskrona stads församling'') to Gertrud Hallberg (25 May 1862 in Karlskrona – 17 March 1914 in Skeppsholms Parish,

), the daughter of the vicar August Ferdinand Hallberg and Marie Charlotte Crona. Wrangel married on 7 March 1922 in Stockholm (

Västerhaninge Västerhaninge () is a locality situated in Haninge Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden. It had 15,134 inhabitants in 2010. It is connected to Stockholm by commuter rail. Västerhaninge borders the large Hanveden forest to the north, the Jord ...

Parish, Stockholm County) with Gertrud Erika Matilda Sterky (11 May 1884 – 4 March 1923 in

Solna Solna ( or , ), also known as Solna Municipality, is a municipality in central Stockholm County, Sweden, located just north of Stockholm City Centre. Its seat is located in the town of Solna, which is a part of the Stockholm urban area. Solna i ...

Parish), the daughter of Carl Gustaf Sterky and Hedvig Augusta Norström. He was the father of naval commander Erik Valdemar Hermansson (1884–1927), Maria ''Lizinka'' Hermansdotter (born 4 July 1887 in Karlskrona) and Gertrud ("Greta") ''Margareta'' Hermansdotter (born 11 June 1890 in Skeppsholms Parish, Stockholm). Wrangel was the owner of Villa Ekebo in Harlösa,

Malmöhus County Malmöhus County () was a county of Sweden from 1719 to 1996. On 1 January 1997 it was merged with Kristianstad County to form Skåne County. It had been named after Malmöhus, a castle in Malmö, which was also where the governor originally li ...

Death

Wrangel died on 13 January 1938 in Harlösa Parish,

Dates of rank

Fleet

*1879-10-17 – Acting sub-lieutenant *1883-04-27 – Sub-lieutenant *1889-10-25 –

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 ...

*1900-12-31 – Lieutenant commander *1903-12-31 –

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 ...

*1907-10-11 –

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 ...

Coastal Artillery

*1909-08-13 – Major general *1916-08-16 –

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 1917) * Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_1st_Class_BAR

Commander 1st Class of the

(6 June 1911) * Order_of_the_Sword_-_Ribbon_bar

Knight of the

(1 December 1899) * 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 ...

(18 September 1897) * For_Zealous_and_Devoted_Service_of_the_Realm_ribbon

Illis quorum ''Illis quorum'' (''Illis quorum meruere labores'') (English: "For Those Whose Labors Have Deserved It") is a gold medal awarded for outstanding contributions to Swedish culture, science or society. The award was introduced in 1784 by King Gusta ...

(1931) * (King Gustaf V Olympic Commemorative Medal (''Konung Gustaf V:s olympiska minnesmedalj, GV:sOlM) (1912)

Foreign

* Knight 2nd Class with Star of the

Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Congress Poland, Kingdom of Pola ...

(28 June 1909) * PRU Roter Adlerorden BAR

Knight 2nd Class of the

Order of the Red Eagle The Order of the Red Eagle () 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 service to the kingdom, o ...

(1908) *

Knight of the

Order of Franz Joseph The Imperial Austrian Order of Franz Joseph () was founded by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria on 2 December 1849, on the first anniversary of his accession to the imperial throne. Classes The order was originally awarded in three classes: ''G ...

(1903) *

PRT Military Order of Aviz - Officer BAR

Officer of the

Order of Aviz The Military Order of Aviz (), known previously to 1910 as the Royal Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz (), and before 1789 as the Knights of Saint Benedict of Aviz () or ''Friars of Santa Maria of Évora'', is one of the four former ancien ...

(26 May 1898) * Legion_Honneur_Chevalier_ribbon

Knight of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

(July 1908) * PRU Order of Crown ribbon

Knight of the 3rd Class of the Order of the Crown (18 September 1897)

Honours

*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 ...

(1st class 1899; 2nd class 1909) *Member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1890) *Honorary member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1909) *Member of the Royal Society for Publication of Manuscripts on Scandinavian History (''Kungliga Samfundet för utgivande av handskrifter rörande Skandinaviens historia'') (1907)

Selected bibliography

* * * * * * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wrangel, Herman 1859 births 1938 deaths Swedish Coastal Artillery lieutenant generals Military personnel from Stockholm Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword Knights of the Order of the Polar Star Officers of the Order of Aviz Knights of the Order of Franz Joseph Knights of the Legion of Honour Members of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Members of the Första kammaren Recipients of the Illis quorum Herman