Marksmanship with the Thompson Submachine Gun

[@reddevilparatrooper]

The infantry replacement instructors made the the training much easier because majority of them are combat veterans by the end of 43-44.My Dad was at Ft.Benning in mid 1943 as an infantry replacement in training,his instructors were wounded combat veterans from North Africa and Italy campaigns assigned as instructors.He told me these guys pulled no bullshit experience and made them do it over and over again until it was right.Their instructions on marksmanship was down to the point especially on all weapons.The best marksmen who were trained became BAR men,machinegunners,bazooka men and mortar gunners.The Thompson was a squad leader's weapon by that time,they were taught how to operate it and maintain the weapon and shoot it in a 3 day period.The emphasis on their training was riflemen,machinegunners,bazooka,and mortars to kill more enemy when he got to combat.By the end of the war in Europe in 1945 my Dad was a machinegun squad leader and had been a 1919A1 gunner before but carried an M1 because squad leaders who carried Thompsons and M1 carbines usually got shot first.Combat experience teaches you to survive.He did the same during Korea and carried an M1so that the Communist Chinese and Koreans would see only an infantryman not a key leader.

[@WesternkindUnited]

Interesting story sir. My mother's step-father was in korea and while on guard detail he had 3 skickyboys basically ninjas, all black clothing black material in their teeth, thieves attempted to destroy him with a us property marked 1911 government length 45 acp semi auto pistol they stole. It was near a storage building near the camp where he was posted where they were searching for loot to steal. He came upon them as they were searching for anything valuable. "Halt!", he ordered to the Korean thieves. And knowing that they were detected one of the group replied in broken english " I sorry Sir. I sorry sir. I sorry sir." and repeated that phrase as he pulled said 1911 pistol from his waistband and began to try to aim at and destroy the American Soldier. My step-grandfather carried an M2 carbine which was a variant of the m1 carbine that had been modified with a selector switch and mechanism that enabled automatic or select fire operation. He at the time thought the selector switch was on automatic, or as he told me " M2 mode " but allthough he thought it was in automatic mode it was actually set in the semi auto mode. When he began to fire at the would be korean murderers where as he believed before that his rifle was set to automatic mode he realized after firing the first round that it was not, so he was very quick to respond and adapt given such a situation having happened. In the time of less than half a second my stepgrandfather reacted to this threat and fired on each of the 3 men there and destroyed them all. 3 spots it blood flashed up in the air after he discharged 3 rounds. Had they not been stopped there they would have more than likely gone on to kill other us troops. His brother was in a tank company and was a commander of a tank. After surviving a a chinese ambush by his wits , efficient use of a m3 grease gun, and potentially a whole lot of luck he was one of only 3 left out of a 100+ man company. Supposedly at some points during his repelling of the seemingly never ending onslaught of chinese hostiles he took an m3 grease gun in each hand and sent rounds into targets and through sheer volume of fire and speed of delivery managed to thin their numbers and to keep them from landing a single round on him.

[@petercarey7133]

thanks for post.

[@guysmalley]

I have a full auto TM , it is amazingly accurate hitting targets at a 100 yards no problem

[@danielburgess7785]

While you're being shot at by rifles?

[@lorendorky]

The visualizations at 15:00 are very intuitive and seem like they would have helped a lot of soldiers learn easily.

[@ZenosWarbirds]

Like what you see? Your DVD purchases at our store make this channel possible. www.zenosflightshop.com See this film & much more on our "Thompson" DVD bit.ly/OEg9DZ We need your support! Zeno

[@PaulDesJardinsEntertainment]

THANK GOD, NOW I CAN USE MY THOMPSON CORRECTLY!!!

[@cchen8075]

same smudge pot was still being used on MC rifle ranges to blacken iron sights when I was in a few years ago.

[@kirkstinson7316]

And a all this was out the window with the introduction of the m1 Thompson . No more adjustable rear sight. No more drums. No more compensator

[@Trev0r98]

spray n' pray

[@WindWhisper420]

I prefer the earlier models myself, particularly the m1928A1 revision with the slower fire rate but it still accepted drums

[@gregj4857]

Was that an instructor he was shooting at while adjusting for range

[@pizzafrenzyman]

simulating live fire saves boatloads on brass

[@chrome4ks]

Given current training and safety doctrine, Is there anyone else here that gets uncomfortable with the sight of a firearm pointed toward someone's crotch?

[@chadpunte1731]

No, as very similar training drills are still currently done in the army.

[@welshpete12]

Yep , if it was me I would like to check myself that it was unloaded ! :-)

[@guysmalley]

chrome4ks if you have no amo drum or stick in and the chamber is clear no problem but I will check the gun that’s pointing at me

[@stevenhall8027]

I have a hell of a time policing stupidity on the rifle range. Now I see that its sanctioned !!

[@2adamast]

Warfare in general, not only they point at you, they will shoot you too, with the greatest insistance

[@philgiglio7922]

I can understand why you would do this for daylight fighting...I remember seeing troops do this before a night engagement in Band of Brothers. Wouldn't you want the sight, especially the front sight, to stand out to aid in aiming. Color my confused. Just how often was the peep sight used in combat I wonder? For quick shots the notch in the bolt operating knob was most likely used. I have never fired a Thompson, but I have fired a Mac 10 in .45 ACP: It's a one handed weapon and very hard got control for more than 3 or 4 rounds.

[@generalkenobi4509]

Doesn’t the mac have an extendable stock, and maybe a sort of nylon bit for a foregrip?

[@blackbird_actual]

Seems like they initially viewed the Thompson as a true "sub"-machine gun in the sense that they were only familiar before that with emplaced Browning M1917s, M1919s, M2s, and Colt M1895s. They way they show it being used and trained for, it's more akin to a mobile, lighter version of those heavier weapons(the far too complex, fine sights and the tactics shown) and not our modern conception of a submachine gun as primarily a weapon for use in close quarters fighting and equipping vehicle crews.

[@rampancyproductions]

I always suspected that pre-ww2 the Thompson was thought of to some extent as a type of SAW

[@randymorrison5513]

Just call an airstrike in

[@ulisesreyes3008]

random question but what kind of pencil or pen are they useing when they are doing the grouping

[@TheCleansingx]

+Ulises Reyes lead?

[@danield679]

I thought it looked maybe like a black wax crayon type of instrument like a grease pencil or “China marker” but it is just an idea. Maybe an early iteration of a felt-tip marker?... it is funny that I wondered the exact same thing! I really appreciate and enjoy these videos. I generally learn at least something new with them!

[@alexsacco776]

Ulises Reyes like number 2 tf?

[@ulisesreyes3008]

Thanks you're more helpful then the other two hahaha

[@MF-kv8cn]

Does anybody know what Thompson gunners did when the enemy was at distances greater than 100 metres? At 125 y the .45 ACP 230gr drops 18" at 200 y it drops 63", too much to be effective. A soldier would have to compensate way too many inches to place shots on target. Let's say Battle of the Bulge scenario where soldiers were in fox holes and the Thompson gunner couldn't commander an M1 grand from a fallen brother, what would he do then?

[@XxBloggs]

Hide

[@vincentmueller3717]

They will come closer. Trust me.

[@redtra236]

This model has a ladder sight with adjustments for different ranges to make long range fire more accurate, although at 200+ yards the .45 isn't gonna have a whole lot of power it could definitely still kill someone or at least take them out of the fight if you hit them. The M1 and M1A1 eliminated the ladder sight though so you'd just have to aim high on them

[@lawrencehudson9939]

This process was so important that the rear sight was replaced by a bent piece of metal.

[@jimalexander1896]

Wow I hope training did get better. Having fired that Thomson 45 full auto it is easy to control!

[@theronfarrer8974]

Thompson seems to be more of a spray and pray weapon.

[@73gmiller]

That was my idea of birth control when I was a young punk.

[@generalkenobi4509]

@@73gmiller RIP 😂

[@rickden8362]

Marksmanship and Thompson machine gun is an oxymoron.

[@david9783]

Love me some Tommy guns!

[@CreationsVibration]

Sure, I believe ya......BUT MY TOMMY GUN DON'T!

[@subterfusion4005]

Those instructors could for sure bust your melon at 200-300 yds on a calm day with that M1. Offhand.

[@remko1238]

Thompson Sniper School

[@mikepeterson9362]

Show of hands: Who besides me started to sweat when an original early-war '28-A1 got stuck in fire?.....

[@johndowe7003]

just hold on to it and it aint gonna do shit except a mag dump

[@maudelgado.7301]

Heard a story about a nco or officer from the 101st that with another soldier, assaulted a french town house to house and caught some bosch having breakfast and served them .45 lead.

[@briancooper2112]

Shit, i forgot marshmallows for flame!

[@666thornton]

Well, at least weapons training has been more simplified so soldiers and NCOs can have the time to focus on and maximize the training time they're giv-"TIME FOR ANOTHER EO/SHARP/DRUG ABUSE/WHATEVER-OBSERVANCE CLASS"---oh, come, ON!

[@Kill3rGr1zzly]

Well technically the Annihilator was the name of the second prototype, not any production weapon. Still a cool marketing logo, though.

[@x.adam1]

Shooting range check list; firearm, ammo, extra mags, torch to set my rifle on fire??

[@maineoutdoorsman677]

Know in Afghanistan they shoot from murder holes .or spider hole small gun ports 800 ,1200 yards away so a accurate range finder.is needed or just use a grenade launchers or boupper to reach them .A10 ,attack helicopter works the best .that way they cant escape.aftganie fertilize.

[@richmcintyre1178]

Given the topography in the pacific where the marines were using this rifle these drills would be useless.

[@johnzajac9849]

The soldier fires the weapon on full auto with one hand! Is there any truth to the oldwives' tale that says the weapon 'rises and goes to the right' when it is fired on full auto!? See the video, and find out!

[@SamGoll-v6f]

Soldier is George Goll one of the original desingers,

[@johnzajac9849]

@@SamGoll-v6f

[@donneale7555]

Sarge.....my gun is on fire

[@QqJcrsStbt]

Sharpshooting is for rifles, SMGs are are for supressing fire, lead spray and noise. Given the price the TG is neither. Eight grease guns will keep a lot of heads down for the same price. Compromise on an assualt rifle, light, cheap, adaptable and more rounds. Keep the typewriter back home in the city.

[@seijiroukikuoka5975]

Grease gun sucked. Deal with it.

[@73gmiller]

When I say woa I mean WOA!

[@TonyBletas]

Seems overkill all this training and precision sighting for a weapon empoying the .45 acp, a pistol cartride of limited range.

[@xusmico187]

With that group you would miss ar 50

[@MsLilyhorse]

Effective under fifty yards, but unreliable under combat conditions - complicated and prone to jamming. The grease gun was better, and very easy to maintain.

[@capzaraki6065]

my Grandfather was in WW2 and he LOVED IT!!! He said " Boy when you were in that tall grass Japanese soldiers coming at you through it with bayonets and Samurai sabers you could really lay down some lead!!"

[@MsLilyhorse]

capzaraki Definitely spit out some heavy lead.

[@TheCleansingx]

+MsLilyhorse lol links to that info? GIs loved their Tommy guns and the U.S. Army only switched to the M3 for lower production cost and ease of use due to the lower rate of fire. Those who got proficient with the Thompson could fire a whole 30 round into a target the sizes of a dinner plate on full auto.

[@dirtyturban46]

Actually, extremely reliable and not complicated.

[@seanhiatt6736]

Thompsons were used through to the Vietnam War

[@rickden8362]

Marksmanship and Thompson machine gun is an oxymoron.

[@redtra236]

It really isn't, SMGs are not necessarily spray and pray weapons as everyone seems to think and can be quite accurate. Especially in semi auto.

[@Chilly_Billy]

Only Uncle Sam could be so concerned with accuracy tips like blackening sights... on a sub machine gun with an effective range of about 75 yards.

[@jlwilliams]

Chilly Billy I read that notorious '30s gangster Machine Gun Kelly could knock walnuts off a fence at 50 yards with his Chicago piano, so I would guess he would have been aiming...

[@rickden8362]

@@jlwilliams Bull. Marksmanship and Thompson machine gun is an oxymoron.

[@rampancyproductions]

@@rickden8362you ever shot one?

[@robertcole9391]

Interesting comments. You can tell who served and who didn't. So for you keyboard commandos, most of this is still used today. Shadow boxes for remedial work at the range because some knucklehead millennial don't get it. Smudging is for ranges only dork pukes. It's too aid in sight acquisition while on a range. The last thing you need is sunlight reflecting back into your eye during qualification. Every range I ran had a smudge station. Use a bic lighter or a zippo. Reason is you focus the on the target and front sight post only. You want the rear sight aperture to be exceptionally dark to create a shadow. Again,, some people shouldn't comment where they have no experience.

[@indigohammer5732]

Oh look! A "Tough Guy".

[@robertcole9391]

@@indigohammer5732 24 years in Uniform jackass! What do you got? Xbox or Playstation?

[@michaelnoller3441]

Preaching to the choir, Bro.

[@robertcole9391]

@@michaelnoller3441 There is always the 'choir'. You can never escape them. Especially when the 'choir' never served.

[@dynodon100]

Oh boy! Did you see all the targets were painted black?! We are going to hear from the N.A.A.C.P. now!

[@samiam619]

dynodon100 Shut up moron!

[@lawrencefazio4073]

Jhfazio

[@Treblaine]

Marksmanship With The Thompson and other joke stories.

[@davidjones-vx9ju]

the joke is on you

[@indigohammer5732]

Yeah pinpoint accuracy from a 45 cal open bolt smg 😂

[@Estury]

The Germans like them :D

[@slickwillie916]

most ridiculous thing I have ever seen

[@tylerthegrimm]

slick willie your mom's face is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen