Post by SeventhSeal17 on May 8, 2007 22:18:51 GMT -5
"And while I am talking to you mothers and fathers, I give you one more assurance. I have said this before, but I say it again and again and again: Your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars."-Franklin D. Roosevelt, October 30 1940-
Compare and Contrast
American Small Arms of WWII:
Thompson M1/A1 and M3 “Grease Gun”
D. R. Munro
In the spring of 1942 the United States entered a war she vowed no part in, she dropped her sons and fathers on the shores of Europe for a tour of duty in hell. They came from all 50 states, all nationalities, and all religions backgrounds…they had but one thing in common. A rifle.
At the onset of the war the United States Army called the Thompson M1/A1 the official rifle of American fighting men everywhere. The most effective and reliable sub-machine gun of its day, Thompson’s were produced by the thousands. It was so effective in training drills that the British Army also commissioned its own variation of the Thompson rifle, but due to the Lend-Lease Act of 1941, they nary paid for a single one.
It was decided upon by the big four (three at this point) that it was necessary to take “Germany first”. With hindsight it makes little sense for America to agree to take Germany first when the Japanese were the ones who drew them into the fray, but that is a different paper.
Everyone knew when the “Yanks” were coming, due to the very distinct sound that the M1/A1 made when fired. It featured a very high rate of fire (600-800 RPMS) and featured a blowback operating system. A blowback operating system is how the Thompson achieved its high rate of fire. In a blowback system there is no lock between the barrel and the bolt, when the gun is fired the recoil pushes the bolt back and another round is lifted into the chamber. After the round is lifted the gases exhumed from the first shot are channeled back into the rifle through a hollow compartment, these gases are used to force the bolt and firing pin back toward the next bullet casing, which is then projected from the casing and shots out of the barrel, this repeats until the magazine is empty.
The cartridge that was used on a Thompson was one of the most popular cartridges of all time. It used a .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) round and cartridge. As with anything it has its drawbacks, such as the size and weight, which made it unfavorable to troops engaged in frenetic and chaotic combat, such as Market Garden or Operation Overlord. The original .45 ACP did not have the stopping power when used against human targets that was desired, so a hollow-point variation was created to reach a much more devastating effect.
The Thompson saw much use in the Pacific Theater as well, where jungle patrols were readily equipped with the surprisingly ungainly weapon. A key contributer to the victory on Iwo Jima and the great battle fought at Okinawa it will forever be remembered as one history’s finest small arms.
The main flaw that the military saw with the Thompson was how expensive it was to produce. When the war proved to all that the boys wouldn’t be “home by Christmas”, and in contrast millions more were to shipped over, the sheer numbers of guns needed was incredible. Thus the military began seeking more economically feasible weaponry.
With that, the M3 Grease Gun was invented and adopted by the Untied States Military. In the case of the Grease Gun the word economical was a nicer and more official way to say that pressing two metal shells together made it, and voila, you have a weapon that can only be fired in full automatic. Much like the Thompson it operated on a blowback, but on a much simpler scale. The barrel was held onto the bolt by a simple nut and bolt construction and soldiers loathed the magazine far and wide. The magazine was a single down clip which the slightest bump would knock free, which on a list of the top the worst things that could happen in battle, that would be number one.
It used the same caliber and feed system as the Thompson but had a very low rate of fire in comparison. Even though the gun was only operable in full auto it was possible to squeeze a single shot or burst fire out due to the low rate of fire.
As a testament to just how cheap the Grease Gun was, the Army offered no replacement parts upon damage…they just sent you a brand new one. Being that it was so inexpensive there were some serious innovations that came with the Grease Gun. It gets its name for an oil stick being located inside the weapons handgrip in case of jams. Also hidden away were a screwdriver, cleaning rod, wrench, and a magazine ejector. A little over 700,000 Grease Guns were commissioned throughout World War II and while it was not an infantry favorite, a Grease Gun is far better then no gun.
The Grease Gun has stayed in combat ever since World War II. Macarthur’s troops wielded them in the occupation of Philippines, United Nations forces donned them in Korea, and American troops drudged through the dense jungles of Vietnam; all with their Grease Guns.
It is evident as to which weapon is the better firearm, but it gets a little gray when other factors are taken in. Thompson’s are reliable, have a very high rate of fire, but are a pain to clean and impossible to fix when jammed. Grease Guns were cheap, unreliable, and have an extraordinary low rate of fire. Yet you could push your Grease Gun to the limits because as soon as it broke, you had a brand new on at your disposal. At any rate, it wasn’t nuclear bombs that won World War II; it was the real weapons of mass destruction…small arms.
THIS IS MY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. YOU MAY NOT USE IT IN PART OR WHOLE ANYWHERE.
Compare and Contrast
American Small Arms of WWII:
Thompson M1/A1 and M3 “Grease Gun”
D. R. Munro
In the spring of 1942 the United States entered a war she vowed no part in, she dropped her sons and fathers on the shores of Europe for a tour of duty in hell. They came from all 50 states, all nationalities, and all religions backgrounds…they had but one thing in common. A rifle.
At the onset of the war the United States Army called the Thompson M1/A1 the official rifle of American fighting men everywhere. The most effective and reliable sub-machine gun of its day, Thompson’s were produced by the thousands. It was so effective in training drills that the British Army also commissioned its own variation of the Thompson rifle, but due to the Lend-Lease Act of 1941, they nary paid for a single one.
It was decided upon by the big four (three at this point) that it was necessary to take “Germany first”. With hindsight it makes little sense for America to agree to take Germany first when the Japanese were the ones who drew them into the fray, but that is a different paper.
Everyone knew when the “Yanks” were coming, due to the very distinct sound that the M1/A1 made when fired. It featured a very high rate of fire (600-800 RPMS) and featured a blowback operating system. A blowback operating system is how the Thompson achieved its high rate of fire. In a blowback system there is no lock between the barrel and the bolt, when the gun is fired the recoil pushes the bolt back and another round is lifted into the chamber. After the round is lifted the gases exhumed from the first shot are channeled back into the rifle through a hollow compartment, these gases are used to force the bolt and firing pin back toward the next bullet casing, which is then projected from the casing and shots out of the barrel, this repeats until the magazine is empty.
The cartridge that was used on a Thompson was one of the most popular cartridges of all time. It used a .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) round and cartridge. As with anything it has its drawbacks, such as the size and weight, which made it unfavorable to troops engaged in frenetic and chaotic combat, such as Market Garden or Operation Overlord. The original .45 ACP did not have the stopping power when used against human targets that was desired, so a hollow-point variation was created to reach a much more devastating effect.
The Thompson saw much use in the Pacific Theater as well, where jungle patrols were readily equipped with the surprisingly ungainly weapon. A key contributer to the victory on Iwo Jima and the great battle fought at Okinawa it will forever be remembered as one history’s finest small arms.
The main flaw that the military saw with the Thompson was how expensive it was to produce. When the war proved to all that the boys wouldn’t be “home by Christmas”, and in contrast millions more were to shipped over, the sheer numbers of guns needed was incredible. Thus the military began seeking more economically feasible weaponry.
With that, the M3 Grease Gun was invented and adopted by the Untied States Military. In the case of the Grease Gun the word economical was a nicer and more official way to say that pressing two metal shells together made it, and voila, you have a weapon that can only be fired in full automatic. Much like the Thompson it operated on a blowback, but on a much simpler scale. The barrel was held onto the bolt by a simple nut and bolt construction and soldiers loathed the magazine far and wide. The magazine was a single down clip which the slightest bump would knock free, which on a list of the top the worst things that could happen in battle, that would be number one.
It used the same caliber and feed system as the Thompson but had a very low rate of fire in comparison. Even though the gun was only operable in full auto it was possible to squeeze a single shot or burst fire out due to the low rate of fire.
As a testament to just how cheap the Grease Gun was, the Army offered no replacement parts upon damage…they just sent you a brand new one. Being that it was so inexpensive there were some serious innovations that came with the Grease Gun. It gets its name for an oil stick being located inside the weapons handgrip in case of jams. Also hidden away were a screwdriver, cleaning rod, wrench, and a magazine ejector. A little over 700,000 Grease Guns were commissioned throughout World War II and while it was not an infantry favorite, a Grease Gun is far better then no gun.
The Grease Gun has stayed in combat ever since World War II. Macarthur’s troops wielded them in the occupation of Philippines, United Nations forces donned them in Korea, and American troops drudged through the dense jungles of Vietnam; all with their Grease Guns.
It is evident as to which weapon is the better firearm, but it gets a little gray when other factors are taken in. Thompson’s are reliable, have a very high rate of fire, but are a pain to clean and impossible to fix when jammed. Grease Guns were cheap, unreliable, and have an extraordinary low rate of fire. Yet you could push your Grease Gun to the limits because as soon as it broke, you had a brand new on at your disposal. At any rate, it wasn’t nuclear bombs that won World War II; it was the real weapons of mass destruction…small arms.
THIS IS MY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. YOU MAY NOT USE IT IN PART OR WHOLE ANYWHERE.