Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #86106 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 384 pages

Synopsis
A memoir by a World War II ordinance officer offers a behind-the-scenes account of his ordnance inspections during the European campaign, detailing his experiences on the front line and his job coordinating the recovery and repair of damaged American tanks. Reprint.

Customer Reviews

Excellent insight to armored warfare
From reading this book I felt that Mr. Cooper provided little known facts regarding the entire spectrum of armored warfare. By relating his experience as an Ordance Officer in the United States Army during WWII, Mr. Cooper describes the organization, development, and deployment strategies of armored divisions from Normandy to the outskirts of Berlin. Cooper also details the design and development of the M-4 Sherman Tank, which was unfortunately dictated by politics. The inferiority of the Sherman Tank as compared to the German Panzers was also outlined in detail. Mr. Cooper also discusses little known facts regarding the developmnet of the M-26 Pershing and "Super Pershing". I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in WWII.

A valuable memoir from a veteran.
Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II is an unusual addition to the growing pile of memoirs being published as WW II veterans age and then die. It is not written by a soldier who was in the thick of combat and has brave tales to tell, nor is it the story of someone in command, explaining and justifying his decisions. Instead, Cooper was a junior officer in charge of vehicle maintenance for the 3rd Armored Division as it fought its way from Normandy to Central Germany. He was always right behind the front lines, but seldom in combat, though frequently exposed to sniper and artillery fire. The main revelation of Death Traps is obvious from its title: the famous M4 Sherman tank which was the mainstay of American armor during the war was completely inadequate when facing German tanks. American commanders, especially Gen. Patton, chose to continue producing the Sherman even when they knew it could not face German tanks and antitank guns, and American tank crews paid a heavy price for this mistake. Cooper has done his homework. Unlike many war memoirs, he has spent time reading the general histories in recent years, and gets the background information right when he discusses the pursuit across France, the invasion of Germany, and the Battle of the Bulge. But the most important thing here is the details: how the Sherman worked, how maintenance was carried out under harsh conditions, and, especially, what happened when a high-velocity 75 mm or 88 mm shell hit an M4.

An excellent, refreshing look at armored warfare of WW II.
An outstanding book, and a refreshing look at WW II. Belton Cooper has provided us with a refreshing new look at the classic armored warfare of WW II in Western Europe. As a junior ordnance (maintenance officer) with the 3rd Armored Division "Spearhead", 1LT Cooper had a tremendous vantage point. His duties required him to spend his days immediately behind the front line battle coordinating repairs and accounting for combat losses. He spent his nights driving through potentially enemy territory to the Division's Maintenance Battalion in the rear to locate replacement vehicles, repaired vehicles and crews. Although not a front line soldier, 1LT Cooper was frequently in the thick of battle with the 3rd AD and or running a gauntlet of sniper fire and artillery in his jeep. He clearly details how armored vehicle recovery and maintenance was performed either at the front or in the rear. Of particular interest to me was his description of the Ordnance Corps' role in training the replacement tank crews, and essentially commanding these vehicles and crews until they were turned over to the combat units at the front. This practice is what we today call Weapons System Replacement Operations. He also describes other logistical efforts in supplying a fast moving armored division with fuel and ammunition. Most importantly, Cooper describes the shortcomings of the American M4 Sherman Tank. The M4 was outgunned by and insufficiently armored in comparison to the German Mark IV, V and VI tanks it faced. Cooper describes in excellent detail the 3rd Armored Division's use of combined arms and air power to compensate for the M4's weaknesses. Cooper weaves his tale in a style similar to Stephen Ambrose's style with one exception. Where Ambrose describes the war from many common men's viewpoints, "Death Traps" is one common man's viewpoint. It is full of poignant stories, of American soldiers, German soldiers as well as the French, Belgian and German civilians he encountered. "Death Traps" is an excellent book and shows another side of World War II. If you are looking for a new perspective on World War II in Europe, 1944-45, "Death Traps" is the book for you. This is a must read for any professional soldier or military historian.