Shmuel "Shmulik" Tankus | |
---|---|
Born | 4 November 1914 Jaffa, Ottoman-controlled Palestine |
Died | 4 March 2012[1] | (aged 97)
Allegiance | Israel |
Service/ | Israeli Navy |
Years of service | 1930–1960 |
Rank | Aluf |
Commands held | Commander of the Israeli Navy |
Battles/wars |
World War II 1947–1949 Palestine war Suez Crisis |
Aluf (Rear Admiral) Shmuel "Shmulik" Tankus ( Hebrew: שמואל טנקוס; 14 November 1914 – 4 March 2012) was the fifth commander of the Israeli Navy, serving from 30 June 1954 until 1960. [2]
Tankus was born in 1914 in the Neve Shalom district of Jaffa under Ottoman-controlled Palestine. He was scion to a clan from the Caucasus that had settled in Palestine following a vision by the clan's elder. [3] He studied at The Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium in Tel Aviv
He joined the Palmach, and served in Palyam. He reported to Yohai Ben-Nun, who was Commander of the Port Brigade ( Hebrew: מפקדי פלוגת הנמל) and is considered the father of the Israeli Naval Academy.
In 1942, he married Yafa Grobshtein. They had a daughter, Ruth, who volunteered for service in the Navy. He lived in Haifa from 1952 onwards. In 2001, he was accorded the honour of Friend or Beloved of the municipality.