The Thompson Submachine Gun Read online

  As the war reached its inevitable conclusion, many of the Thompsons first carried into combat had been broken or discarded. (Lieutenant Cartledge recalled he wore out four during his tenure in Europe.) Few original M1928A1s survived to 1945; most still in use by then were M1A1s, and of these many had been replaced by the cheaper and simpler M3 grease gun or Reising Model 50, both .45-calibre submachine guns. Many of the Tommy guns still in service had been field modified – steel bands had been fitted to fore-grips to provide a more secure anchor, swivels put on top of the butt, instead of underneath, and the long Bren gun webbing sling was adopted by many soldiers to carry the Thompson comfortably across the chest. As later recalled by a former Commando ‘Right up to the time we got into Germany, I used my Thompson in preference to anything else. I had a Bren sling on it, and in house fighting often took the butt off and stowed it in my pack. I could shoot that gun from the chest or from the eye without moving the sling off my shoulder.’13

  9 Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 28 (July 1943).

  10 J. Sturm calculated that the impact from a .45 was the same as being struck by a ¼in (6.4mm) steel rod mounted on the front of a car travelling at 55mph (89km/h).

  11 Sergeant Jack Lovell, ex-3 Commando, interview with author.

  12 Msr Jean-Marie Clemenceaux, interview with author.

  13 Sergeant Jack Lovell, ex-3 Commando, interview with author.

  IMPACT

  A celebrity submachine gun

  THE THOMPSON IN THE MOVIES

  Almost uniquely, the Thompson has been the subject, directly and indirectly, of more media attention than probably any other firearm. This interest was in part due to the Prohibition-era gangs’ love of the gun. Indeed, it was said with some truth that it was their wholesale adoption of the weapon that rescued the Thompson from obscurity and saved Auto- Ordnance from collapse. The Thompson first appeared at the cinema as a live-firing gun in a silent movie called Underworld, released in 1927. Hollywood’s current requirement for maintaining the safety of its crew and actors had yet to manifest itself, and most guns used on film sets fired live ammunition, albeit normally at out-of-camera-range targets. Closeup shots of bullets striking doors, cars or windows, however, were done using marksmen and required actors to stand very, very still. On-site gunsmiths soon realized that having a full-automatic submachine gun on a film set was a disaster waiting to happen, so several blank-firing attachments were manufactured that retained the outward unmodified appearance of the guns. These consisted of a restrictor or baffle, fitted inside the barrel or Cutts compensator, that cut down on the gas that passed through, creating sufficient back-pressure to work the breech-block and cycle the action.

  The distinctive sound of a Thompson had yet to be captured for the viewing public, and the sound score that accompanied the silent films usually relied on a drum or piano to signify the gunshots, which detracted somewhat from the real thing. It was not until sound was introduced to film that the Tommy gun began to carve its own peculiar niche in the movie world. The first soundtrack featuring gangsters and the Thompson was the 1930 film Little Caesar starring Edward G. Robinson. This film tapped into an apparently insatiable public appetite for the genre, and in four years some 60 films were made, the most prominent in Thompson terms being Scarface, released in 1932. Probably the most unusual aspect of this film is that despite the prominence it gave to the M1921, the basic message of the screenwriter was anti-gun. There was a great deal of social comment contained within the film, which mirrored much of the existing public sentiment about the indiscriminate use of firearms, and particularly Thompsons, in crime. Criminals were shown as able to buy them openly, as there were no legal checks on their eventual ownership, while law enforcement officers could not have them, because they couldn’t afford them. There was even a sequence where a newspaper man rails against the fact that there are no gun laws restricting the ownership of Thompsons, and all of this two years before any firearms legislation appeared. It was not long before the image of the Thompson-carrying mobster had changed to that of an FBI ‘G-Man’ (government man) clutching a drum-magazine Thompson and presenting, as far as Auto- Ordnance were concerned, a far more wholesome image. This switch was mainly due to the 1934 National Firearms Act that had been placed before Congress, which would regulate for the first time the sale of weapons deemed to be crime related – sawn-off shotguns, suppressors and machine guns – by taxing and recording them. In future, only law enforcement agencies would be permitted to own and use them. So serious did the authorities believe the situation had become, that in 1935 a code of conduct was even agreed for Hollywood that limited what could be shown on film screens. The Hays Code, as it was known, would eventually have overly excessive powers of censorship on filmmaking, even to the extent of prohibiting scenes showing a married man and his wife in bed together. But initially, it forbade the showing of Thompsons or any other automatic firearms in films if carried by criminals. This meant the gangsters had to be armed with pistols, rifles and shotguns, which wasn’t so far from the truth in many instances.

  Scarface, or The Shame of the Nation. Although ostensibly antigun and anti-gang, the 1932 film gave the Thompson a glamorous starring role. (Photo by John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images)

  A side-effect of this ruling was that the tone of films began to change, from concentrating on the lawbreakers to focusing more on the lawmakers, a trend that has continued to this day. Films about the Bureau of Investigation/FBI became immensely popular. For Auto-Ordnance the good news was that instead of the unwanted publicity that surrounded the criminal use of their guns, they were now firmly in the hands of Federal agents and police, who could, under the Hays Code, be shown carrying them. Suddenly the Tommy gun belonged to the good guy. The positive reinvention of the Thompson was to be reinforced in 1941, as the war spread its effects to the United States and the Thompson began a military career. A new wave of films appeared showing Thompsons in the hands of just about every type of military unit conceivable: British Commando, US Army, Marine Corps and Air Force. Thompsons also appeared in a series of gritty war films starring the hugely popular John Wayne, where the set armourers seemed to have little but Thompsons to issue to the actors. If Hollywood thought the public’s appetite for war movies would diminish with the coming of peace in 1945, they were wrong. As the power of the Hays Code waned after the war, filmmakers began to look at new types of film to excite the public taste. There were several more John-Wayne-winsthe- war escapades, as well as some bizarre uses of the Thompson in science-fiction films, which were becoming the new darlings of the film industry. Thompsons were featured killing huge ants in the 1954 film Them, a use that General Thompson had undoubtedly never foreseen. There was also a new nostalgia for the days of the ‘Roaring Twenties’, and films came out featuring gangsters depicted in a more modern, but less accurate light. Bonnie and Clyde was filmed throughout 1966 with the title actors Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway carrying Thompsons, which Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow never had in real life, but it didn’t stop the film from becoming a huge box-office hit. There was a new version of The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (1967), and even Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger (1964) featured a Thompson. The Thompson was rapidly becoming a veteran firearm in Hollywood and it shows few signs of vanishing from the screen. John Dillinger, ‘Baby Face’ Nelson and other gangster luminaries have long become established fare for the box-office. In fact, Dillinger and Nelson are far more famous in death than life. Dillinger was remade in 1973, and both Dillinger and Nelson feature as the central characters in the recent Universal Pictures film Public Enemies, released in 2009. Naturally, Thompsons are at the forefront of most of the shoot-outs.

  A soldier from 3 Commando at Largs in Scotland armed with an M1 Thompson. It was deservedly popular amongst those who used it in combat and beloved by many Commandos. (IWM H 19271)

  THE THOMPSON IN RETROSPECT

  What exactly was the legacy of the Thompson? It is strange that a weapon conceived for the trench
warfare of the Great War was never actually used for its intended purpose, and yet became one of the most recognizable designs of firearm ever produced – not as a result of war service, but through criminal activity. By any standards this makes the Thompson unusual in the annals of firearms history. In terms of design and manufacture it was the first and last of its breed. It was a submachine gun conceived at a time when there was still a traditional attitude towards the manufacture of firearms, for they were built to last, made of exceedingly high quality materials and requiring a standard of workmanship that would have been familiar to a 19th-century gunsmith but would be both outmoded and unprofitable within a generation. Look closely at a Thompson, particularly an early model, and you will see no corners being cut, no substitution of good materials for something cheaper. It was a firearm firmly rooted in the great gunmaking tradition of America, where craftsmanship counted for something and was still expected by customers. This was at once its strength and weakness, however, for times were changing. Henry Ford had proved that building fast and cheaply was the direction that manufacturing industry was heading in, and gunmaking was, whether those involved liked it or not, now an industry of massproduction. What counted against the Thompson was the sheer cost of manufacture. The dozens of machining operations, the close tolerances required from the internal parts (the Blish lock is a prime example) all conspired to make the Thompson an expensive gun. True, it would probably never wear out, but within military circles the realization was dawning that this longevity was not necessarily desirable. Military firearms that lasted for decades were seldom used to the point of becoming worn out. Moreover, they required careful storage, frequent inspection and refurbishment and were often rendered obsolete by technological advancement long before their physical service life had been reached. They were, in short, too well built. Germany had proven this to an extent in developing the 9mm MP18/1 at the end of World War I. It was simple and strong but not excessively over-designed and was relatively easy for nonskilled labour to build. It was a submachine gun in the modern tradition, whereas the Thompson certainly was not.

  And yet how many people today would recognize an MP18? The Thompson is instantly recognizable even by those with little knowledge of military firearms. The finned barrel, pistol grips and drum magazine are unlike any other firearm and its visual effect is stunning. Neither was the Thompson a case of form over function, for there was no denying it did all that was asked of it. It was reliable, hard-hitting and easy to care for. It accomplished everything, in fact, that a soldier could ask of his weapon. True, it was heavy, but to a combat soldier there was often a comfort in having a weapon that felt as though it meant business – hence the great reluctance of British Commandos to hand in their Tommy guns for the much-reviled Sten, which was generally regarded as a gun manufactured from scrap bicycle parts. To a great extent this was the biggest weakness of the Thompson, for it was simply too much of everything for a modern army. It was too expensive to make, too complex internally and too heavy. Like it or not, submachine gun design was heading in the direction of the Sten.The German Army thought similarly, and their beautifully made MP38 submachine guns were gradually simplified until they too were producing clones of the cheap, effective Sten by the end of the war. Despite simplifying the Thompson into M1/A1 models the US Army had to introduce its own replacement in 1942, in the form of the M2 ‘grease gun’. Cheaply made of pressings and stampings, it was all that the Thompson was not. Like most of its genre, it was merely a tool, one that few soldiers developed any emotional attachment for. There was no denying that it was a reasonably efficient submachine gun, but it was effectively disposable and by the end of the war it had been consigned to the dustbin of history – quite unlike the Thompson, for the iconic status of the Tommy gun has survived into the 21st century. Its reputation endured to the extent that it was copied by Communist China and the Vietcong, who produced good serviceable examples during the Vietnam War. Original Thompsons still turn up in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Middle East and in countless African countries, shouldered by militiamen, terrorists and even by police forces. It seems that the Thompson will, like old soldiers, never die.

  It is always difficult to determine exactly what the factors are that give an object the status that determines it to be ‘iconic’. There is no denying that visual familiarity is a major factor, and the Thompson has featured in dozens of Hollywood epics, bringing it to the attention of a very wide audience. Its emergence as a gangster gun also helped, but there was something else about it, something indefinable. Veterans talked fondly of ‘their’ Thompsons, and many expressed regret at having to hand them back at the end of the war – surely an emotion that seldom arose with the Sten or the ‘grease gun’. There are today countless products, and even pop groups and artwork based around the gun, for interest in it is still very high. It is sufficient even for it to still be in production, albeit as a modified semi-automatic variant. Originals now change hands among collectors and shooters at phenomenal prices, and $50,000 for a good Model 1921 is not uncommon. Surely there have been no other firearms manufactured that can lay claim to have invented the term for a whole generation of subsequent weapons, and for that the ‘Tommy gun’ is truly unique.

  Shooting the Thompson

  A Thompson is initially a daunting weapon to shoot for the first time, in part because of the many (and usually erroneous) tales told about fearsome recoil, the tendency of its muzzle to climb uncontrollably and blinding muzzle flash. In fact, only at night is the muzzle flash noticeable and the weight of the gun, particularly with a drum magazine fitted, means that it is actually quite stable to shoot, even in fairly long bursts. Firing continuously on fullautomatic certainly does cause the muzzle to rise and swing to the right, but it is not violent and is possible to correct if the trigger is released and the gun allowed to drop back on target. Recoil is not at all unpleasant and the gun can be fired one-handed from the hip in short bursts. The Thompson makes a very distinctive clatter when firing, and once heard can be instantly identified thereafter.

  Contemporary military accuracy tests are interesting, and belie the oft-repeated stories that the Thompson was useless at long range or when fired on fully automatic. British tests at RSAF Enfield showed that at 50 yards (46m) using a 50-round drum, a group 3 x 6in (7.6 x 15.2cm) was made; at 100 yards (91m) it was 14 x 10in (35.5 x 25.4cm); and at 300 yards (274m) the group was 25 x 29in (63.5 x 73.6cm). Guns were fired on full-automatic mode, but in bursts. Firing at extreme ranges of 500 yards (457m) achieved groups covering 24 x 46in (61 x 116.8cm). At 100–150 yards (91–137m) a man-sized target could be hit regularly, although, as the author can attest, at longer ranges there is a distinct time-lag between the sound of the gunshot and the ‘thump’ of the bullet striking the target! Bearing in mind that the Thompson is firing a pistol cartridge, such performance is surprisingly good. Yet few combat soldiers would ever shoot a Thompson in this manner, for short, accurate bursts at close range were what the Thompson did best. A good Tommy-man could make three- or four-shot bursts that were deadly accurate, even when firing from the hip. Trainee FBI agents were instructed to try to shoot ten shots from a magazine loaded with only ten rounds, and while it took some practice, most could manage nine out of ten after a few days. Magazine reliability was always a thorny problem. Generally, the 20- and 30-round box magazines were good unless the feed lips were dented, in which case jamming would occur. The ‘C’ and ‘L’ drums were far more of a problem.

  The very earliest drums required the front plate to be removed, so the bullets could be inserted (a tediously slow process), then with the plate refitted, the drum was wound, in the manner of a clock spring. Later drums were of riveted construction and did not need to be disassembled to reload them; cartridges were inserted into the mouth of the drum and the mechanism wound to 11 clicks for the M1921 or nine clicks for the M1928. With the introduction of the later M1 models there was no provision for a drum magazine anyway, and military production of them ceased. (Image
: The author firing a Tommy gun at the range.)

  GLOSSARY

  ACTUATOR: Cocking handle.

  BLISH LOCK: An ‘H’ shaped device that locked the breech-block under pressure and helped reduce the high rate of fire.

  BLOWBACK: Using the inertia of the breech-block to hold the cartridge in place at the moment of firing. Pressure generated then pushes the breech back to re-cock the weapon and repeat the cycle.

  BLUED: A chemical process that turns bare steel a deep blue-black and helps prevent rusting.

  BREECH-BLOCK: The component that closes the breech, usually a rectangular or conical machined piece of steel within which the firing pin and cartridge extractor are incorporated.

  CUTTS COMPENSATOR: A slotted muzzle attachment that directs the fired gas upwards and/or sideways, helping reduce the tendency of the muzzle to rise on firing.