CZERWINSKI, Walter J.

WALTER JULIAN CZERWINSKI

Torpedoman’s Mate Second Class · Plankowner, USS Silversides (SS-236) · Retired Commander

Walter Czerwinski on left, Robert Danko on right.

Born / Died	25 Jun 1919 / 11 Feb 2003
Service no.	234-16-68 (enlisted); 377310 (officer)
Commissioning rate	TM2c (15 Dec 1941)
Silversides tenure	15 Dec 1941 – 9 Mar 1945 (patrol 13 report)
Patrols aboard	10 (25 ships credited, 132,562 t); the last two as an officer
Rate on leaving Silversides	Ensign
Other vessels	Cachalot, Clamagore (SS-343)
Service	Career Navy; retired Commander

Prewar (1919–1941)

Walter Czerwinski was born on 25 June 1919. In 1930 the family owned a $4,500 home at 416 Willett in Buffalo, New York. His father Andrew (45) was a laborer at a factory, and his mother Margaret (35) kept the household with Walter (10) and his sisters Violet (12) and Aloise (7). Both parents were born in Poland and arrived in 1910, and neither was naturalized.

He transferred from Pearl Harbor to Cachalot on 31 July 1939. The 1940 census lists him at the Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, as W. Julian Czerwinski, 20, a Torpedoman Third Class who earned $675 in 1939. On 4 October 1941 he left Cachalot for the Silversides commissioning detail and was at Mare Island when the new boat went down the ways.

On Silversides (Dec 1941 – Mar 1945)

Czerwinski commissioned aboard *Silversides* on 15 December 1941 as TM2c. He moved to the Silversides flag allowance on 25 September 1942, was received back from COMSUBDIV 102 as TM1c on 10 December, went to COMSUBDIV 82 on 15 July 1943 and was received back as CTM(A) on 27 September. That put him ashore for patrols 3 and 6, and he made the other ten.

He accepted a commission as Ensign aboard on 4 August 1944, on an authorization dated 15 April 1944, and finished the war in the wardroom. The patrol 13 report lists him among the officers detached during the refit after patrol 12, between 27 February and 9 March 1945.

Patrol	Dates	CO	Credited sunk	Credited damaged
1	30 Apr – 21 Jun 1942	Burlingame	5 (25,627 t)¹	1 (10,100 t)
2	15 Jul – 8 Sep 1942	Burlingame	4 (15,250 t)	2 (5,750 t)
4	17 Dec 1942 – 31 Jan 1943	Burlingame	1 (10,010 t)	3 (14,360 t)
5	17 May – 1 Jul 1943	Burlingame	1 (10,000 t)	0
7	5 Oct – 8 Nov 1943	Coye	4 (22,075 t)	1 (5,000 t)
8	4 Dec 1943 – 15 Jan 1944	Coye	3 (18,500 t)	2 (8,000 t)
9	15 Feb – 6 Apr 1944	Coye	2 (7,500 t)	0
10	26 Apr – 11 Jun 1944	Coye	5 (23,600 t)	3 (18,000 t)
11 †	24 Sep – 23 Nov 1944	Coye	0	1 (200 t)
12 †	22 Dec 1944 – 12 Feb 1945	Nichols	0	1 (6,800 t)
Total			25 (132,562 t)	14 (68,210 t)

¹ Tonnage as credited in endorsements. Patrol 1 includes a submarine credit that was likely a log or other debris.
† Aboard as an officer (Ensign). Patrols 3 and 6 are omitted because he was on the flag allowance or at COMSUBDIV 82 (25 Sep – 10 Dec 1942; 15 Jul – 27 Sep 1943).

Later War (1945)

He was in the wardroom of USS Clamagore (SS-343) when she was commissioned on 28 June 1945, as an Ensign.

Postwar (1945–2003)

He was a career Navy man and retired as a Commander. He died on 11 February 2003. His postwar postings await his OMPF.

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Research Notes

• Departure: 9 Mar 1945 is the date of patrol 13’s sailing, used as the end of the refit. He is named in the patrol 13 report with other wardroom officers, so there is no enlisted exit ROC. He could have left anytime after the end of the 12th patrol.

• Commission date and patrol count: he accepted the commission on 4 Aug 1944, during the Mare Island overhaul (19 Jun – 4 Sep 1944) and before patrol 11 sailed on 24 Sep. By the dates, both patrols 11 and 12 were as an officer. The file’s note reads “commissioned ENS during 11th patrol,” and the earlier count was one wardroom patrol. verify

• Patrol count: silversides_patrols 10 matches the table (1, 2, 4, 5, 7–12).

• Cachalot: she had one casualty on 7 Dec 1941 but no damage; he was at Mare Island.

• Open: OMPF, retirement date, parents’ naturalization.

• Source notes (carried over, verbatim):

  Walter Czerwinski on left, Robert Danko on Right.
  1930 Census Buffalo, NY. Andrew Czerwinski (45) and Margaret (35). Violet (12), Walter (10), and Aloise (7). Owned $4500homeat416Willett.ParentsbothborninPolandandimmigratedin1910notnaturalized.Andrewisalaboreratafactory.\ast \ast 1940Census\ast \ast SubBasePearlHarbor.ListedasW.JulianCzerwinski(20)TorpedomanThirdClass.Made$675 in 1939.

  Accepted commission as Ensign aboard Silversides on 4AUG44. Authorization was 15APR44, which was originally in my research notes. Appointment accepted and rate changed to Ensign (T) on 4AUG.
  13th War Patrol Report lists him among the officers detached after the 12th War Patrol. Left Silversides before 9 Mar 1945, during her refit after the 12th patrol. Czerwinski was present for 10 Silversides war patrols.
  Commissioned the USS Clamagore as Ensign 28JUN45.
  Transferred from Pearl to Cachalot on 31JUL39. Present aboard until 4OCT41 when he was transferred to the Silversides commissioning detail. Cachalot had one casualty on 7 Dec 41, but suffered no damage. Czerwinski was in Mare Island waiting to send Silversides down the ways.
  Silversides TRAN Flag 25SEP42.
  Silversides Rec from COMSUBDIV 102 for duty 10 Dec 42. TM1c
  Silversides TRAN to COMSUBDIV 82 for duty. TM1c 15 Jul 43
  Silversides REC from COMSUBDIV 82 for duty. CTM(A) 27 Sep 43

  War Patrols: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 (Commissioned ENS during 11th patrol). Stayed through the 12th Patrol. The 13th Patrol’s report lists him as detached from the ship during the refit and training period as Ensign. This was between 27 Feb 45 and 9 Mar 45. He commissioned Clagamore in June.

  Career Navy Man, retired Commander.

Sources: 1930 and 1940 census; Silversides muster and ROC; Silversides patrol 13 report; Silversides patrol indexes 1–12; Find a Grave.