I read the book about 45 years ago.
I think it was about the same time, around when I was in college. Recently I’ve been reading some WWII memoirs from Russians and Germans about eastern front fighting, particularly armored fighting. Really hairy and scary. Didn’t matter if you were in a T34, a Tiger, or a Panther, you ran a hell of a good chance of being trapped in your machine and burned alive. Indeed, the speed with which tanks on both sides were knocked off in major actions was appalling.