Rodgers was born on March 18, 1894, in Knoxville, Pennsylvania, as the son of a glass decorator Linus James Rodgers and his wife Clara E. Werling. He had seven siblings and completed the St. George's Catholic School and graduated from the South Pittsburgh High School in June 1912. Rodgers subsequently received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, from 32nd District and entered the academy as midshipman in June that year.
While at the academy, he was active in varsity baseball team for all four years and won the Naval Academy "N" in each of the four years. Among other duties, Rodgers served as midshipman-ensign and ordnance officer of the Second Cadet Battalion under his classmate and future admiral, Ralph E. Davison, and also was active in Hop Committee.[2]
Rodgers graduated with Bachelor of Science degree in June 1916 and was commissioned ensign at the time. He was subsequently attached to the battleship USS South Carolina, participated in the patrol cruises and convoy escort duties in the Atlantic Ocean during World War I and made stops in Cuba, the Panama Canal, and New Orleans. While aboard South Carolina, Rodgers was promoted consecutively to the temporary ranks of Lieutenant (junior grade) and lieutenant. He also befriended with future fleet admiral Chester Nimitz, who served then as ship's executive officer.
He was detached in June 1919 and ordered to the Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut, for submarine training, which he aboard the stations ship, USS Fulton one month later and spent next three months aboard the training submarine USS H-4 along the West Coast of the United States. Rodgers subsequently commanded the submarines USS H-8 and USS R-8 during the patrols off the coast of San Pedro and Santa Catalina Island until June 1923, when he was sent to the Union Iron Works in San Francisco, California, for duty in connection with fitting out of submarine USS S-41. He was promoted to the permanent rank of lieutenant on July 1, 1920.[1][3]
Rodgers was detached before that submarine was commissioned and ordered to Coco Solo submarine base in the Panama Canal Zone in October 1923. He served as engineer and repair officer until September 1925, when he returned to the United States for duty at Portsmouth Navy Yard in connection with fitting out of submarine USS Bonita. Upon the commissioning of that vessel, Rodgers was appointed an executive officer under Lieutenant Commander Charles A. Lockwood and participated in the patrolling the Atlantic shores and Caribbean until May 1927. Rodgers was promoted to lieutenant commander on October 2, 1926.
Following the United States entry into World War I, Rodgers was promoted to the rank of captain on January 1, 1942, and transferred to the headquarters, Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet in Washington, D.C., where he served under Admiral Ernest J. King until January 1943. Upon request to be assigned for combat duty, Rodgers was ordered to Hawaii, where he was appointed commanding officer of the heavy cruiser USS Salt Lake City.
Aleutian Islands
Rodgers (right) with other officers of USS Salt Lake City after the Battle of the Komandorski Islands, March 26, 1943.
The U.S. forces met Japanese ships near the Komandorski islands on March 26, 1943, and during a 3+1⁄2-hour engagement with an enemy force of far greater strength, Rodgers handled his cruiser with such excellent judgment and skill that she was able to inflict severe damage on one heavy cruiser and lesser damage on another heavy, and a light cruiser. He was decorated with the Navy Cross, the United States military's second-highest decoration awarded for valor in combat. He also received his Navy Unit Commendation.[6][1][3][7]
Southeast Asia
Rodgers commanded Salt Lake City until the beginning of September of that year, when he was promoted to the rank of commodore and appointed United States senior planning officer on the Joint Planning Staff, South East Asia Command, and senior United States naval officer in Southeast Asia. He was responsible jointly with the senior British Army planner for the formulation of plans for operations in Southeast Asia, utilizing United States, Chinese, British, and Colonial troops.
Rodgers was subsequently promoted to the temporary rank of rear admiral on January 28, 1944, and ordered to the Mediterranean, where he assumed duty as commander of Task Group Two, Eighth Amphibious Force with additional duty as commander, Task Force 85 "Delta Force" under Admiral Henry K. Hewitt. His Task Force consisted of Force Flagship Group (Flagship – USS Biscayne; destroyer USS Forrest, and seaplane one fighter-director tender); Transport Group (six transport ships, two Attack freighters, five destroyers, three British troop ships); Assault Group (beach assault landing crafts); Gunfire Support Group (one battleship, one light cruiser, two French light cruisers, eight destroyers, three French destroyers); Minesweeper Group (eight minesweepers) and Combat and Firefighting Group (seven fleet tugs).
He commanded his task force during the Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of the Southern France in August 1944, where his command assisted in landing of assault troops, supplies and mechanized equipment of the 7th Army, mostly Major General William Eagle's 45th Infantry (Thunderbirds) Division on a stretch of beach between Pointe des Sardineux and Pointe de la Garonne. His efficient direction of unloading operations of convoys were contributing factors in sustaining the rapid advance of our ground forces into enemy-held territory. Rodgers was subsequently decorated with Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his service and was entitled to wear the Navy Unit Commendation for USS Biscay service during the Operation Dragoon. He was also made British Honorary Commander of the Order of the Bath and received Legion of Honour and French Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 with Palm.[6][9]
Pacific Theater
Rodgers and his command were ordered to the Pacific theater of operations in December 1944 and his unit was now redesignated Amphibious Group ELEVEN. He assumed additional duty as commander of Battleship Division 3 and led his command during the Iwo Jima Campaign in February–March 1945 and Battle of Okinawa in May–June of that year. In both campaigns, troops under his command were responsible for the support of the landings. Despite repeated attempts by hostile suicide boats to strike his ships and incessant attacks by enemy aircraft, Rodgers directed the units under his command in supporting minesweeping and underwater demolition operations in preparation for the main assaults on objectives; supported landings and subsequent advances of our troops; and provided scheduled bombardments in support of Allied daily attacks against each Japanese stronghold in turn. He was decorated with second Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his service in the Pacific theater.[6][10][11]
Following his return stateside in July 1946, Rodgers was appointed commander of Amphibious Group One and participated in the first full-scale peacetime amphibious training exercises conducted off the coast of Southern California in November and December that year. At the end of his tenure, he witnessed the sinking of his World War II ship, USS Salt Lake City, which was used as a target hull on May 25, 1948.
He was ordered to Europe in March 1954 and commanded U.S. Naval Forces Germany until November 1955, when he was ordered to the United States and attached back to the 12th Naval District. Rodgers then served as president of Permanent General Court Martial until his retirement on April 1, 1956. He was advanced to the rank of vice admiral on the retired list for having been specially commended in combat.[1][12]
Retirement
Following his retirement from the Navy, Rodgers settled in Coronado, California, where he was active in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Holy Name Society and the Navy League of the United States. He died of heart attack at Coronado Hospital on November 30, 1983.
His wife, Marie Fischer Rodgers, died in 1981, They had three sons, Bertram Joseph Jr., Paul Stephen, and James Richard, and a daughter, Mrs. Marie E. Rodgers Casey. His son, Bertram J. Rodgers Jr., worked as a consultant for an electronics company in Fremont, California, until his retirement in 2016.
Military decorations
Here is the ribbon bar of Vice Admiral Bertram J. Rodgers:[6]
