Wartime Soviet Thompson Machinegun Document

[vvadim]

Due to shortage of sub-machine guns in Red Army, in 1941 Soviet Union received 70,491 Thompson sub-machine guns. But army was unhappy with it and only 112,293 in total were delivered to Soviet Union.

This picture was taken in December of 1941.

[deValcourt]

I don't know if it is just a coincidence, but in both the photos of the Soviet soldiers "using" the Tommy guns, they are holding them in an interesting fashion - like the weapons were very long-barreled pistols. The barrel grips are not used at all.:confused: Probably just a matter of the weapons being unfamiliar.

Phillip

[CtahhR]

Did someone say propaganda?

[vvadim]

in both the photos of the Soviet soldiers "using" the Tommy guns, they are holding them in an interesting fashion - like the weapons were very long-barreled pistols. The barrel grips are not used at all.:confused: Probably just a matter of the weapons being unfamiliar.

This is how it was prescribed in soviet manuals, despite the fact that PPD-40 had a barrel grip too.
Other guy with Thompson is not inventing wheel either.

[deValcourt]

I suppose if the US had shipped the models with the pistol grip under the barrel, then it would have been self explanatory. Since the CIA had not been created yet, they could not send "advisers" to help the soldiers "master" the new weapons.:rolleyes:

Phillip

[Dat Nguyen]

Greetings to All,

Pardon the delay ... It has been rather hectic ...

As promised, a crate of Soviet Thompson machine guns.

Guns lovers of the world ... start drooling ...

v/r
Dat

[Tommy]

With a quick web search I came up with these three photos:

1. Russian marines on the Kola peninsula.

2. Russian tank troops with American tanks and equipment.

3. The inventor JT Thompson

Simon

The first image appears to be of sailors from the Northern Fleet?

If so, the Americans lent them more than just Tommy guns. Apparently they lent them the USS Milwaukee & the Brits lent them HMS Royal Sovereign in exhange for some some captured Italian ships.

Cheers,

Tom

[Tommy]

Also,

Is that a Thompson on a right with a stick magazine?



Cheers,

Tom

[CtahhR]

His Majesty's Ship Royal Sovereign didn't have the most Stalinist of names so was renamed "Arhangelsk" from 30th May 1944 until 4th February 1949 when she was returned and scrapped.
"Royal Sovereign" would be the largest ship in the Soviet Fleet during the Great Patriotic War and flagship of Gordej Levchenko (and the Baltic Fleet), participating in the escort of Arctic convoys (that brought in more lend-lease).

The mechanisms for her gun turrets were reused for the Lovell Radio-Telescope at Jodrell Bank which most English folks will have seen first hand.

Looks more like a captured MP40 to me than a Thompson.

[Tommy]

Indeed it does. The rounded butt or lack thereof kinda gives it away.