Tobruk

[reconbob]

Have not seen this one, but I think also may have been a book cover.

If the photo is correct this would be 1941. So these are M1928A1's with

vertical foregrips?

 

Bob

[bug]

They are likely 1928s in Brit hands.

[rpbcps]

Have not seen this one, but I think also may have been a book cover.

If the photo is correct this would be 1941. So these are M1928A1's with

vertical foregrips?

 

Bob

 

Bob,

I have a copy of that photo on file with the caption "Australian 9 Division Tobruk 08.09.41".

 

In my collection, I have a deactivated 1928, with 'Tommy Gun' stamped on the top of the receiver, which I believe would have been part of the British War offices 5th consignment of Thompsons, to be shipped to Britain in 1941.

 

This order of 50,000 ‘MODEL OF 1928’ guns was placed just before the introduction of the U.S. Lend Lease Program in March 1941.So Savage was still using an early roll stamp for the ‘MODEL OF 1928’ markings at the time. However, under the Lend Lease Act, the US government assumed ownership of the guns that were supplied to foreign armed forces, and the Act stated that the guns had to be marked as U.S. Property. So, the "US" and "A1" were retrospectively added by hand stamping them to the 42,000 guns, (including my example), from this order. So these would have been the first 1928A1's to have been issued to the British and Commonwealth forces.

(Information obtained from Tom Davis's book, 'Great Britain - The Tommy Gun Story').

 

The 9th Division had initially deployed to Britain in 1940 to defend against the expected German invasion, and was then deployed to Libya in March 1941, reaching Tobruk in April and being withdrawn from Tobruk in Sept. & Oct. 1941. So, I believe the 9th Division would have been issued with Model of 1928 Thompsons.

 

Stay safe

Richard

[rpbcps]

Photos of the 2nd Battalion King’s Own Royal Regt. at Tobruk 1941

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay safe

Richard

[thirtyround]

Last Pic.... Guy on left in fore ground prefers the Mills Bomb grenade.

[rpbcps]

Last Pic.... Guy on left in fore ground prefers the Mills Bomb grenade.

As does this soldier too.....

[Ron Mills]

Mills Bomb Grenade = ? What did I do now?

Cheers,

Ron

[peter kohler]

so when did the horizontal front stock come into use? i see these are all vertical grips. just curious

[rpbcps]

so when did the horizontal front stock come into use? i see these are all vertical grips. just curious

Peter,

Horizontal foregrips came into use back in the 1920's. The photos of the 'European' Thompsons produced by British Small Arms, (BSA), Models 1926 and 1929 shown in The Ultimate Thompson Book by Tracie Hill, all have horizontal foregrips. In the same book, chapter 12 covers 'The US Navy Model; of 1928', and again in the photos in that chapter, you'll see Model of 1928's Thompsons with horizontal foregrips. There are two photos from the testing of US Navy Model of 1928, captioned Aberdeen Proving Ground Photo dated February 17, 1930, the Thompson in those photos has the horizontal foregrip.

In the book " Great Britain- The Tommy Gun Story", you'll find a photo of an early Savage produced Model of 1928A, serial number 17359, which has a horizontal foregrip and no compensator. You'll have to read that book to get the whole story to the '1928A's' supplied to the UK in 1940, not enough space to go into it here.

Finally, see below a photo of a line-up of British soldiers on motor bikes armed with Thompsons from early on in the war. Note some of the Thompsons are the 1928A version with no compensator and horizontal foregrips where as some are the regular Model of 1928's with compensator and vertical foregrips.

 

and below a still shot from a propaganda film of a commando raid in Norway in 1940, again showing an example of the 1928A in action during the first years of the war.

 

 

You'll also find images of the horizontal foregrips in the Auto Ordnance Corporation 1929 Handbook of the Thompson Submachine gun featuring the Model of 1921, Model of 1928 and the Model of 1927, as well as in the fold out in the 1937 USMC supplement for the Model of 1928 TSMG.

 

 

 

Stay safe

Richard

Edited June 11, 2022 by rpbcps

[Mk VII]

Britain preferred the vertical grip in its initial orders, but was prepared to accept whatever they had in the parts bin rather than wait.