Henrik Span

Henrik Span (17 April 1634 – 27 December 1694) was a naval officer in the Dutch, Venetian and Danish[1] navies.

[1] Span enrolled in the Royal Dutch Navy where in 1652–54 he served in the war with England.

He served under Michael de Ruyter when an expeditionary fleet was sent to Denmark where it managed to liberate Nyborg in November 1659.

[2] He was in 1672 appointed as captain in the Royal Dutch Navy and was promoted to commander in 1674 after distinguishing himself in the war against England.

[1] He then took command of a squadron under Niels Juel, took part in the expeditionary fleet which was sent to Rügen in 1678 and headed the Siege of Kalmar in 1679.

Nyholm was inaugurated that same year and Span was responsible for the construction of the first ship there, the ship-of-the-line Dannebroge,[4] which was launched in 1692.

[2] Span was the first shipbuilder in Denmark who constructed ships based on mathematical principles and graphical designs.