Prior to America’s involvement in World War II, the Thompson was considered an auxiliary weapon system. However, as elite American units began deploying to the frontlines, many of their members, from Airborne Rangers to Marine Raiders, opted to carry the M1A1 Thompson as their primary weapon. One soldier who did was 1st Sgt. Leonard Funk Jr., a paratrooper awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of the Bulge. On Jan. 29, 1945, Funk’s unit encountered a group of more than 80 Nazi soldiers in a small Belgian village called Holzheim. The Germans ordered Funk and his men to surrender — but they didn’t. Instead, Funk raised his Thompson and emptied the entire 30-round magazine into the Germans. A lopsided battle ensued. When the dust settled, 21 Nazis were dead and many more were wounded. The survivors were taken prisoner of war. Related: From World War II to US Customs, Neal McCallum’s 46 Years Dedicated to Uncle SamThe Thompson and Army Special Forces
Bob Charest, an Army Special Forces soldier who later served with MACV-SOG and Detachment-A in Berlin, relied on the Thompson submachine gun for base defense while in Vietnam. Photos courtesy of Bob Charest. Composite by Matt Fratus/Coffee or Die.
In 1963, US Army Special Forces soldier Bob Charest was sent to Vietnam as an adviser. His 12-man team, code-named A-432, was tasked with training 200 Jari Montagnards, whom they would ultimately accompany into combat. The Green Berets and their local allies operated in the jungle and frequently set up defensive camps in the area of Boun Beng. The team had access to a large arsenal of weaponry that included everything from the German Schmeisser MP40 submachine gun to the M1 rifle. Charest, who was later inducted into the Army Special Forces Hall of Fame, found that the Thompson was the best option for base defense. “We had a man on duty every night to patrol the camp, and we carried the Thompson because the .45 caliber had knockdown power,” Charest recalled in a recent interview with Coffee or Die. “In our tiny mess hall or team room, we had three Thompsons on both sides available for immediate access in case of a sudden attack, six in all, locked and loaded and well-oiled at all times by our weapons men.” Eventually, however, Charest discovered that the Thompson had its limitations. First, its effective range was under 100 yards, making it virtually useless in long-range engagements. Second, the Thompson weighed about 10 pounds without a magazine. Add one, plus a few extra packed into a shoulder or belt bag, and the weight became a problem. The Thompson was eventually phased out of the American arsenal, primarily because of its lack of range, heavy weight, and uncommon bullet caliber. As it and other shoulder-fired weapons that had been popular in previous conflicts went the way of the dodo, the M16 and its 5.56 ammunition became standard issue for US troops in the Vietnam War. Read Next: Detachment A: How Special Forces Soldiers Operated Undercover in Cold War Berlin Editor’s Note 3/21/2023: This article was updated to include additional information about the use of the Tommy Gun by the Irish Republican Army.
