World War II Axis Booby Traps and Sabotage Tactics

by Gordon L. Rottman, Peter Dennis (Illustrator)

Overview

Booby traps laid by troops in war zones in World War II are largely neglected in histories and memoirs, and rarely examined in detail. Yet for a soldier, the threat of booby traps had to be at the forefront of his mind, and an ability to find and disarm them was essential. This is the first comprehensive study of World War II's battlefield booby traps, using information from rare wartime intelligence publications to identify, illustrate and describe the tactics of both Allied and Axis saboteurs. Examining all aspects of this secretive subject, from the equipment used to the techniques of placing and finding them, this book uncovers the daily risks faced by soldiers on the ground through the course of the war.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781780961439
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	10/20/2011
Series:	Elite , #100
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
File size:	8 MB

About the Author

Gordon L Rottman entered the US Army in 1967, volunteered for Special Forces and completed training as a weapons specialist. He served in the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam in 1969–70 and subsequently in airborne infantry, long-range patrol and intelligence assignments until retiring after 26 years. He was a special operations forces scenario writer at the Joint Readiness Training Center for 12 years and is now a freelance writer, living in Texas.
Gordon L. Rottman entered the US Army in 1967, volunteered for Special Forces and completed training as a weapons specialist. He served in the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam in 1969–70 and subsequently in airborne infantry, long-range patrol and intelligence assignments before retiring after 26 years. He was a Special Operations Forces scenario writer at the Joint Readiness Training Center for 12 years and is now a freelance writer, living in Texas.
Peter Dennis was inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn, leading him to study Illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.

Table of Contents

Introduction – overview * Purposes * Munitions and materials *Tactics and techniques: selection of positions, concealment, booby-trapping of mines to prevent lifting, etc * Sabotage devices * Countering booby traps * National practices in booby-trapping and sabotage: US, Britain, Germany, Japan * Conclusion – effectiveness

Editorial Reviews

World War II Axis Booby Traps and Sabotage Tactics offered me a different perspective of the war, not one that I regularly see when researching WW2 topics. For that alone, the book gets a 'thumb up' from me.” —C Peter Chen, World War II Database, ww2db.com (August 2009)

“In all, it is another fascinating Osprey title on a subject that we all know about to some extent. Now all of that information is in one place in a book that is highly readable and quite interesting. One I know that you will enjoy.” —Scott Van Aken, www.modelingmadness.com (August 2009)

From the Publisher