| Shmuel "Shmulik" Tankus | |
| Birth Date: | 4 November 1914 |
| Death Date: | [1] |
| Birth Place: | Jaffa, Ottoman-controlled Palestine |
| Serviceyears: | 1930–1960 |
| Rank: | Aluf |
| Commands: | Commander of the Israeli Navy |
| Battles: | 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.