Bengt Schuback

Bengt Jacob Schuback (15 May 1928 – 4 December 2015) was a Swedish Navy vice admiral. He was chief of Defence Staff from 1978 to 1982 during which time the Soviet submarine U 137 ran aground in Swedish waters. Schuback was later the commanding officer of the Milo S from 1982 to 1984 and the, Chief of the Navy from 1984 to 1990.

Schuback was born in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of head of department Erik Schuback and his wife Elsa (née Lundén). He passed studentexamen in Uppsala in 1947 and became an aspirant at the Royal Swedish Naval Academy the same year. He finished first in his class and became an acting sub-lieutenant (fänrik) in 1950. Schuback attended the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1958 to 1960 and the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College from 1960 to 1961. He attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in London in 1975 and completed Swedish National Defence College's management course in 1976. Schuback was promoted to captain (kommendör) and seagoing unit commander in 1974 and to rear admiral and chief of staff of Milo ÖN in 1976. He was vice chief of the Defence Staff in 1977 and was promoted to vice admiral and chief of the Defence Staff in 1978.

After the Soviet submarine U137 ran aground in Blekinge archipelago in 1981, Schuback in his role as chief of the Defence Staff, had to recreate the Swedish anti-submarine warfare capabilities. New equipment and tactical instructions for the new units were developed under severe time pressure, a strong media pressure and with limited financial resources. Schuback was appointed military commander of Milo S in 1982 and Chief of the Navy in 1984. He retired and left his post in 1990. After retirement, he devoted much of his time to the Foundation Ymer 80, which supports the Swedish polar research. Schuback was also chairman of the association Friends of the Vasa Museum (Föreningen Vasamuseets vänner) and was involved in the creation of the Stockholm Water Prize.

Schuback became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences in 1973. He was an honorary member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences, in which he was elected in 1967 as number 903. Schuback was also inspector emeriti of the naval academic association SjöLund.

In 1952 he married Ann-Mari Hagström (born 1928), the daughter of Folke Hagström and Ingeborg (née Boström). He had three children; Anders, Peter and Katarina.

Schuback's ranks

• 1950 – Acting sub-lieutenant (fänrik)
• 1952 – Sub-Lieutenant (Löjtnant)
• 1962 – Lieutenant (Kapten)
• 1966 – Commander of the 2nd rank (Kommendörkapten 2:a graden)
• 1968 – Commander of the 1st rank (Kommendörkapten 1:a graden)
• 1973 – Captain (Kommendör)
• 1976 – Rear admiral (Konteramiral)
• 1978 – Vice admiral (Viceamiral)

• "Schubach, Bengt, arkiv > Förteckning" [Schubach, Bengt, archive > List] (in Swedish). National Archives of Sweden. Retrieved 14 January 2016.