Developed by General John T. Thompson during the First World War, the Thompson
was intended as a 'trench broom' to sweep German trenches. The war ended before
it was perfected, so it was produced and sold to various countries before being
adopted by the US Army. The Thompson was a completely new weapon, finely
machined and manufactured to the highest standards. With this, the M1928 Thompson was a complicated weapon to manufacture and was very
expensive. Although slightly on the heavy side, the Thompson was the most reliable weapon
of its type, and remained in service until the Vietnam War. |