- Reaction score
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- Points
- 410
Book Review
Belton Y. Cooper's book "Death Traps; The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War Two has been re-released and is an interesting look at the five hundred and eighty percent casualty rate suffered by the US 3rd Armored Division. Mr Cooper served as a member of the maintenance battalion of the aforementioned division whose duties included the responsibility of compiling the combat loss reports and the movements of reinforcements back to the forward positions. I found his book to be interesting for several reasons, the first being the unheard of casualty rates. Secondly, he provides information on an aspect of warfare rarely touched upon, what happens to the destroyed/damaged vehicles. Additonally, Cooper fully explains the advantages and disadvantages of American armor verses those of Germany and the internal politics that formed the American armored doctrine. The American super tank is covered by both photographs and written explanations including the one and only combat incident. The book closes with the discovery of German test sites and the reestablishment of German industry. Yet again proof that the strategic bombing campaign was not as successful as many claim it was. There are also two excellent appendices, the first reiterating the Sherman verses Panzer arguments and the second concerning the 'up protecting' and 'up gunning' of the Sherman tank. The third appendices covers the field deployment of an American armored division. The down side to the book is that Cooper tends to repeat his arguments through out the book and has followed the literary format of noted author Stephan Ambrose who I do not particularly enjoy. That aside his book is still a interesting read on the shaft behind the sharp point in world war two armored combat.
