This was a dangerous job that often required him to travel alone through. Death traps an important contribution to the history of world war ii. I read this book immediately after reading spearhead. I have never before been able to learn so much about mai. With a forward by popular historian stephen ambrose and the backing of a major publisher, death traps has become quite well known amongst ww2 history aficionados.
From our experience in north africa, it had been belatedly recognized that both the m4 and the m4a1 were inadequately protected. Death traps ebook san antonio public library bibliocommons. Read death traps the survival of an american armored division in world war ii by. I have never before been able to learn so much about maintenance methods of an armored division, with precise details that underline the importance of the work, along with descriptions of how the job was done. Cooper is president of the herman williams company in. Read death traps the survival of an american armored division in world war ii by belton y. As a member of the 3d armored division maintenance battalion, he had liaison duties that took him far and wide, so he saw more of the war than most junior officers, and he writes about it better than most anyone.
Some say it was a pure assassination, a hit job to get rid of this annoying person. You can enhance belton coopers memory by upgrading beltons public record with words and pictures, signing beltons memory book, recording an audio memory or lighting a candle. The survival of an american armored division in world war ii mass market. Jan 03, 2016 i have recently read belton cooper s memoir death traps and generally liked it but i would like to make a couple of remarks on it. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Weigley, author of eisenhowers lieutenantscooper saw more of the war than most junior officers. Belton cooper s description of the inadequacies of the m4 sherman tank and the superhuman efforts of maintenance crews to restore damaged ones to combat is very gripping. The survival of an american armored division in world. The survival of an american armored division in world war ii. Cooper, an ordenance officer in the us 3rd armoured division, across the west european campaign of wwii and as such fills a very important gap in litterature.
Coopers room, where he was confined to a wheelchair due to a leg broken from a household fall. Belton coopers memoir of his world war ii service with the 3d armored division in europe is a gem. Coopers experiences in the battle to defeat germany. Invariably, when this topic is raised in an online forum, someone will bring up the book death traps by belton cooper. An important contribution to the history of world war ii. Death traps the survival of an american armored division in.
Lebanon, ohio a judge sentenced a franklin man to seven years in prison tuesday for his sons scalding death. However, the truth is apparent to those that read belton cooper s book, death traps that while armored vehicles can be knocked out most if not all, of them can be recovered and put back into service, if they are not allowed to totally incinerate. When belton cooper was a young boy growing up in huntsville, he dreamed of building the worlds first unsinkable battleship. Belton cooper saw how the german panzer tanks were destroying. Death traps is a very good memoir by belton cooper. Cooper served as an ordnance officer with the forward elements and was responsible for coordinating the recovery and repair of damaged american tanks. Aside from being the best christian film i have ever seen, fury is based on a true story, related in belton coopers memoir death traps. The main theme of the book is that m4 sherman was, as the title implies, a death trap to the men that operated them. Cooper served with united state army s 3rd armored division fighting the germans in 19441945. He was born in huntsville, alabama on october 4, 1917, son of the late jimmie lou youngblood cooper and george price cooper, jr. The survival of an american armored division in world war ii at. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you. The technical inferiority of american to german armor in world war ii is well documented and very familiar to students of that conflict.
The main theme of the book is that m4 sherman was, as the title implies, a. David ayer born january 18, 1968 is an american film director, producer and screenwriter. Sep 30, 2016 for the same reason internet hobby historians love to rate the tiger ll as the greatest tank ever the m1 abrams is based off it dontcha know and routinely place rommel at the top of the list of greatest generals ever. Belton cooper s memoir of his world war ii service with the 3rd armored division in europe is a gem. Belton cooper was a mechanic during the war, and thus lacked a good overall perspective of the shermans performance. He wrote training day 2001, cowrote the fast and the furious 2001, and directed harsh times 2005, street kings 2008, end of watch 2012, sabotage 2014, fury 2014, suicide squad 2016 and bright. A memoir is a historical work, and a primary source, of course a memoir could be wrong, and should be contrasted if possible with other sources, but definitely memoirs are historical works and primary sources. For everyone else here is the text of belton cooper s death traps, that as he said opened a can of worms and it still does. His book reflects his frustrations at having to send young, undertrained tank crews out to almost certain death in the face of mark iv, mark v and mark vi german tanks. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a.
Please read the above talk page descriptions of all of the horrendously bad history that is in coopers book. As a member of the 3rd armored division maintenance battalion, he had liaison duties that took him far and wide, so he saw more of the war than most junior officers, and he writes about it better than most anyone. Death traps is a somewhat unique book among books written about wwii in so far that it features the accounts and feelings of a man. Death traps and fury fury is a relentlessly grim world war ii movie, and as the source autobiography death traps makes clear, it should be. Coopers job was to ensure that the 3rd armored vehicles tanks, jeeps, half tracks and such. Coopers death traps, about american armored units in world war ii and.
The survival of an american armored division in world war ii is a 1998 memoir by belton y. Sign up for news about books, authors, and more from penguin random house. Belton youngblood cooper october 4, 1917 may 26, 2007 served in the reserve. Death traps the book the true saga of spearhead heroes of a different sort written by 3rd armored world war ii veteran belton cooper of birmingham, alabama, and first published in 1998, death traps has received wide acclaim in military circles. As a young ordnance lieutenant in the 3d armor division, it was belton coopers job to travel with the combat units during the day and assist in coordinating the recovery, repair, and evacuation of the battledamaged tanks. As one who loves wwii history, i could not put this book down. Was the ww2 memoir death traps by belton cooper historically accurate. The book relates coopers experiences during world war ii and puts forth an argument against the us armys use of the m4 sherman tank during the war. Belton coopers book death traps is a good book about the sherman. Cooper grew up in huntsville and attended the virginia military institute and the university of michigan. Coopers book, death traps about americas sherman tanks in wwii, and had brought my copy for him to. Belton coopers death traps is a great read by an american maintenance officer in an armored division in the postdday eto. Belton coopers death traps is fabricated nonhistory and should not be used as a reference i just removed a reference from coopers book that somebody tried to sneak in.
Death traps the survival of an american armored division in world war ii, by belton y cooper. The film portrays us tank crews in nazi germany during the final days of world war ii. Belton cooper s book death traps is a good book about the sherman. Good wwii books heavily focused on actual soldier experiences. For everyone else here is the text of belton coopers death traps, that as he said opened a can of worms and it still does. Cooper, an ordenance officer in the us 3rd armoured division, across the west european campaign of wwii and as such fills a very important gap in.
I did not find the account to be as wellwritten or compelling as other tankers memoirs such as brazen chariots, the ken tout books, or belton coopers recent death traps and the book. For the same reason internet hobby historians love to rate the tiger ll as the greatest tank ever the m1 abrams is based off it dontcha know and routinely place rommel at the top of the list of greatest generals ever. Death traps, belton coopers aptly name book about american armored divisions in ww2 evidences this fact. Jan 30, 2015 death traps and fury fury is a relentlessly grim world war ii movie, and as the source autobiography death traps makes clear, it should be.
Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Aug 28, 2000 as a young ordnance lieutenant in the 3d armor division, it was belton cooper s job to travel with the combat units during the day and assist in coordinating the recovery, repair, and evacuation of the battledamaged tanks. It was coopers job to recover those american tanks knocked out in combat. Death traps by belton cooper is a memoir of his us army service in world war 2. Belton was an ordnance officer in the 3rd armored div or spearhead division. Death traps death traps is easily one of the bestknown memoirs of any us junior officer during world war ii, and certainly so for the us armored forces. Mar 18, 2018 invariably, when this topic is raised in an online forum, someone will bring up the book death traps by belton cooper. Rebecca cooper, a very pretty lady, full of southern charm, answered the door. You can enhance belton cooper s memory by upgrading beltons public record with words and pictures, signing beltons memory book, recording an audio memory or lighting a candle. Belton coopers description of the inadequacies of the m4 sherman tank and the superhuman efforts of maintenance crews to restore damaged ones to combat is very gripping. When asked by one of his crew whether he really wants to do this, his answer is, no, its not what i want to do but its what were doing.
The book, commonly found, is wellwritten, an easy read, and provides good insight as to the thinkings and workings of a junior grade ordnance officer in a field unit. His laments about shermans being no good against tigers and panthers are questionable, as his unit did not encounter tigers and panthers when he. It is written in the style of a memoir, but it also presents itself as a history of the 3rd armored division, the unit in which cooper served as an ordnance lieutenant. Belton cooper s death traps is a great read by an american maintenance officer in an armored division in the postdday eto. Dec 18, 2007 an important contribution to the history of world war ii. The survival of an american armored division in world war ii, published in 1998. Its been 28 years since carter coopers death by suicide at age 23, but brother anderson cooper and mom gloria vanderbilt say they have still not achieved closure and actually detest that. Belton coopers memoir of his world war ii service with the 3rd armored division in europe is a gem.
The book relates cooper s experiences during world war ii and puts forth an argument against the us armys use of the m4 sherman tank during the war. Fry consults with bo cooper at the national institutes of healths building 10. Cooper saw more of the war than most junior officers, and he writes about it better than almost anyone. Cooper is a very polished writer, and the book is very readable.
Belton cooper s death traps is fabricated nonhistory and should not be used as a reference i just removed a reference from cooper s book that somebody tried to sneak in. The trials of building 10, the four patients meet with their. Citing death traps holy shit sherman tanks were not nearly as efficient or as armored as the primary german tank, the panzer iv. Common myths about wwii tanks page 4 historical articles. Remembering the death traps belton cooper 3rd armored division. Please read the above talk page descriptions of all of the horrendously bad history that is in cooper s book. The extra metal on the tank was from knocked out panthers and done in the feild, as the crew believed the armor would not stand up to the big german guns. The united states world war 2 main battle tank, the m4 sherman was obsolete by 1944. The book itself is called death traps and it refers to the thousands of crew members who died or were injured in sherman tanks because the tank was designed by a committee and it was no match for german panzers with far superior armour and firepower. Cooper s experiences in the battle to defeat germany. Of course, when something like this happens, conspiracy theories arise quickly in the conspiracy field. He served in the unit responsible for recovering damaged and destroyed tanks.
Ayer was influenced by the service of veterans in his family and by reading books, such as belton y. In a downtoearth style, death traps tells the compelling story of one mans assignment to the famous 3rd armored division that spearheaded the american advance from normandy into germany. Cooper, an ordenance officer in the us 3rd armoured division, across the west european campaign of wwii and as such fills a. A cool memoir with a lot of interesting insight into both the logistics of keeping an armored division in the fight, as well as the struggle to keep the numerically superior but outarmored and outgunned american tanks ahead of the curve.
Death traps is a somewhat unique book among books written about wwii in so far. Sherman tank performance page 5 axis history forum. I have recently read belton coopers memoir death traps and generally liked it but i would like to make a couple of remarks on it. The technical inferiority of american to german armor in world war ii is well documented and very familiar to. Jan 29, 2015 invariably, when this topic is raised in an online forum, someone will bring up the book death traps by belton cooper. Belton youngblood cooper cooper, belton youngblood, age 89, of birmingham, died may 26, 2007. However, the truth is apparent to those that read belton coopers book, death traps that while armored vehicles can be knocked out most if not all, of them can be recovered and put back into service, if they are not allowed to totally incinerate. Hisham, from the cad pics on the web page this looks to be t26 e3 that went to europe for combat test with the 3rd armored div. Death traps the survival of an american armored division in world war ii ebook.
He married, had three sons and began his career at u. The survival of an american armored division in world war ii by benton y. Later, cooper recalled the experience in a book, death traps. It keeps coming up in forum threads as people keep citing it, so i figured i may as well make my position clear in a more formal manner. Cooper served as an ordnance liaison officer of the us 3rd armored division from the invasion of normandy until the end of the war. This was a heavy armored division that was the tip of the spear of the allied advance across europe. Jul 28, 20 please dont use the 5 m4s 1 panther myth. Mar 31, 2016 its been 28 years since carter coopers death by suicide at age 23, but brother anderson cooper and mom gloria vanderbilt say they have still not achieved closure and actually detest that.
1096 876 458 1562 1183 1174 880 151 1198 412 1265 401 1443 1406 727 793 1258 1013 18 483 391 647 20 174 543 626 25 1223 1336 532 539 523 573 1075 595 765