general john thompson tommy gun

The Trench Broom. Although not immediately embraced by the military, it found favor with gangsters at the time for its ergonomics, compactness, large .45 ACP cartridge, and high volume of automatic fire. The Thompson was actually developed a generation earlier and was intended for use during the First World War. It had several nicknames, such as "tommy gun" and "chicago typewriter." The thompson fires about 1,000 .45 ACP pistol rounds per minute (600-1200 rounds depending on the model). The Thompson submachine gun design was spearheaded by U.S. Army brigadier general John T. Thompson in cooperation with three design engineers: Theodore H. Eickhoff, Oscar V. Payne, and George Goll. In 1882 he graduated eleventh in his class at the age of twenty one. An American icon, U.S. infantrymen carried the Thompson in the European, North African, and Pacific theaters of World War II and during the Korean War. So, in 1915, John T. Thompson began his research to create a machinegun, that would be unlike anything the world had ever seen. Gen. John T. Thompson, inventor of the Thompson submachine gun. Historical Marker #1706 in Newport commemorates Brig. The Thompson series of submachine guns (not quite a pistol yet not a full-fledged machine gun) began life in 1919 following World War 1. General John T. Thompson with an early working Thompson machine gun The most famous use of Gatling guns in battle was by Lt. John Henry Parker during the Spanish-American War's battle of San Juan. British impressions in June 1921 were favourable, but aside from economic . He was the son of a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, and grew up moving around from one military post to the next. General John T. Thompson, a graduate of West Point, began his research in 1915 for an automatic weapon to supply the American military. Brigadier General John Taliaferro Thompson, the force behind the Thompson gun, graduated from West Point in 1882. Due to most models allowing the use of a high capacity "drum" magazine, this would allow a single shooter to clear a room fairly quickly. As a newly commissioned 2nd. The Colt Model 1911, the Luger, the Uzi—the list is short. John Taliaferro ( Italian pronunciation: [ˌtaljaˈfɛrro]) (anglicized to "Tolliver") Thompson (December 31, 1860 - June 21, 1940) was a United States Army officer best remembered as the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun . World War I was drag- ging on and casualties were mounting. After a long . The Thompson submachine gun, or "Tommy gun" as it became known, was adopted by many organized crime gangs in large cities in the 1930s. John Taliaferro ( Italian pronunciation: [ˌtaljaˈfɛrro]) (anglicized to "Tolliver") Thompson (December 31, 1860 - June 21, 1940) was a United States Army officer best remembered as the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun . John Thompson grew up at Army posts in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and California. Development. When General John Thompson completed his iconic submachine gun design in 1919, the world's governments were weary of war and strapped for cash. Though General John T. Thompson invented it for the American military, it first found notoriety thanks to its part in events such at St. Valentine's Day Massacre. John T. Thompson sought financing and established the Auto-Ordnance Company to develop and manufacture the weapon. Lt., Second Artillery. By the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898, Thompson had risen to the rank of lieutenant colonel and was the chief ordnance officer for the campaign in Cuba. He envisioned it as being a fully automatic rifle in order to replace the bolt-action service rifles then in use (such as the American M1903 Springfield).. Brigadier general Thompson came across a patent issued to . Awards. General John T. Thompson, Auto Ordnance, and his Tommy Gun. With millions of rifles and pistols in their inventories and surplus, there was little room for an unproven, expensive, and distinctly short-range weapon like the 'Tommy'. General John T. Thompson is the inventor of the first commercialized submachine gun made in America. Development. Even people who are not historians, history buffs or gun enthusiasts give the Thompson recognition only a select few weapons earn. Firing .45 ACP cartridges at an approximate rate of 600-700 rounds per minute, the Thompson proved to be a reliable and . General Thompson graduated from West Point in 1882 and was the Chief Ordnance Officer for U.S. forces during the Spanish American war. This may very well be what led him to pursue a career in the military himself. In this broad-reaching cultural and military history, Bill Yenne charts the tommy gun's unpredictable and one-of-a-kind care An in-depth, entertaining history of the legendary weapon.John Taliaferro Thompson (1860-1940) served after 1890 in the U.S. Army ordnance developing small arms and ammunition, many of which are still . The Thompson submachine gun has gone by many names, and for nearly a century the gun's image has been indelibly marked on the popular consciousness. He grew up on various military posts where his father, Lieutenant Colonel James Thompson, served. The Chopper. The Persuader. The Tommy Gun was originally developed by General John T. Thompson to create a semi-automatic gun to replace the bolt-action rifles then in use. Brigadier General John T. Thompson was the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, the iconic "Tommy gun" of so many gangster movies. The Thompson submachine gun is one of the weapons that define the 20th century. Rank. TOMMY GUN: How General Thompson's Submachine Gun Wrote History User Review - Kirkus. Distinguished Service Medal. The infamous George "Machine Gun" Kelly got his nickname from the Thompson he used on a summer night in 1933 to kidnap oilman Charles Urschel from his home in Oklahoma City. The weapon was first created by General John T. Thompson in 1918 and is best known for the circular drum magazine used to hold up to 100 rounds of .45 caliber cartridges. Since its birth in the aftermath of World War I, the tommy gun has enjoyed a varied career on both sides of the law. John Thompson answered the call of his country and rejoined the Army as a Brigadier General in 1917 and was placed in charge of all small arms production and procurement for the war effort. When General John Thompson completed his iconic submachine gun design in 1919, the world's governments were weary of war and strapped for cash. sixteen he decided to make the military his career. Gangsters and the 1934 NFA General Thompson died in 1940. The Tommy Gun was originally developed by General John T. Thompson to create a semi-automatic gun to replace the bolt-action rifles then in use. The Thompson submachine gun is one of the weapons that define the 20th century. The Tommy gun, now known the world-over and popularized in literature and cinema, was used by both law enforcement agencies as well as organized crime members and petty criminals who gave the historic gun a slew of counter-culture nicknames, including Chopper, Chicago Typewriter and Chicago Piano. It was a big, heavy, brutal looking weapon with a slower rate of fire than its Confederate equivalent. With millions of rifles and pistols in their inventories and surplus, there was little room for an unproven, expensive, and distinctly short-range weapon like the 'Tommy'. The Thompson remains a feature of movies, novels and songs. It was widely used by chicago gangsters during the prohibition era. By the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898, Thompson had risen to the . Other work. The Tommy Gun Goes To War. At this time in history, machineguns were large heavy weapons manned by several soldiers. Thompson once again retired from the Army after the WWI ended and returned to Auto-Ordnance to bring about his Tommy Gun. In the hands of soldiers and insurgents, police and criminals, it has made its mark from American cities to the jungles of Africa. He was Chief Ordnance Officer for General Shafter's Expeditionary Forces in the Spanish American War. In 1877 he entered Indiana University, and a year later entered West Point. The Thompson was actually developed a generation earlier and was intended for use during the First World War. Although it was introduced too late to see service in World War I . Brigadier general John T. Thompson was the original developer of the Thompson submachine gun, who spent most of his career in the ordnance department of the U.S. Army. The Thompson submachine gun, also known as the "Tommy Gun", "Chicago Typewriter", or "Trench Broom", is a blowback-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed selective-fire submachine gun that was invented by the United States Army Brigadier general John T. Thompson in 1918. Nevertheless, with its .45 caliber bullets, it was an effective and robust weapon. The biggest drawback of the Tommy gun at that time was the high price tag. Having served in the U.S. Army's ordnance supplies and logistics, General Thompson understood that greater fire- power was needed to end the war. John T. Thompson died in October 1940 at 80 years old, just as his gun was finally going to be used in the way he had always intended. But when the United States entered World War II, the gun's true power as an essential, life-saving weapon made it an iconic weapon of the American GI. In 1939, when war started in Europe, Allied countries were desperate for available firearms; the British snatched up the Thompson. Brigadier General. Its namesake, General John T. Thompson, envisioned a semi-automatic rifle to replace . An Outstanding Military Career John Taliaferro (pronounced "Tolliver") Thompson was born in Newport, Kentucky on December 31, 1860. It was there that he realized […] Invented by an Army General Much like Union General Ambrose Burnside and his Burnside rifle, the Tommy Gun was invented by a U.S. Army General, John Taliaferro Thompson. The magazine was either a circular drum that held 50 or 100 rounds or a box that held 20 or 30 rounds. The Thompson remains a feature of movies, novels and songs. Auto-Ordnance Corporation founder. The Chicago Typewriter. The Thompson SMG was a submachine gun invented in 1919 by General John T. Thompson. Thompson hoped his invention would not only hasten the end of the War, but would also earn him a good deal of money in the process. General Thompson worked efficiently and quickly, moving the gun into production in 1921. Originally referred to as the Annihilator, its name was soon changed after WWI ended, and thus the moniker Thompson submachine gun, or Tommy Gun, was adopted. Brigadier General John T. Thompson was the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, the iconic "Tommy gun" of so many gangster movies. Thompson submachine gun, byname Tommy gun, submachine gun patented in 1920 by its American designer, John T. Thompson. Thompson was born in Newport on December 31, 1860. Before his death, the amount of guns produced was modest. Thompson once again retired from the Army after the WWI ended and returned to Auto-Ordnance to bring about his Tommy Gun. The Colt Model 1911, the Luger, the Uzi—the list is short. Many of the infantry rifles employed during World War I boasted superb accuracy at long range. Even people who are not historians, history buffs or gun enthusiasts give the Thompson recognition only a select few weapons earn. In the tunnel explosion that wounded him, most of the veterans he had known since parachute training at Fort Benning, GA, were killed or wounded. Although not immediately embraced by the military, it found favor with gangsters at the time for its ergonomics, compactness, large .45 ACP cartridge, and high volume of automatic fire. It was the creation of one General John Taliaferro Thompson (December 31st, 1860 - June 21st, 1940) who started work on early forms as early as 1917. He graduated from West Point in 1883, and became the youngest Colonel in the U.S. Army. The most famous use of Gatling guns in battle was by Lt. John Henry Parker during the Spanish-American War's battle of San . He envisioned it as being a fully automatic rifle in order to replace the bolt-action service rifles then in use (such as the American M1903 Springfield).. Brigadier general Thompson came across a patent issued to . It weighed almost 10 pounds (4.5 kg) empty and fired .45-calibre ammunition. The Tommy Gun proved ferocious in street fights, easily blowing doors off their hinges and able to wreak havoc on dark corners and suspicious buildings. Contents 1 Early life 2 Spanish-American War 3 World War I 4 Death 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Early life Brigadier General John Taliaferro Thompson, the force behind the Thompson gun, graduated from West Point in 1882. John Thompson attended Indiana University and the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1882. 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