
French Thompsons
#1
Posted 14 May 2004 - 02:13 PM
Is it known what happened to the 3,000 (Colt 1928's?)? Did any reappear after the liberation?
Thanks
#2
Posted 14 May 2004 - 03:25 PM
#3
Posted 14 May 2004 - 03:36 PM

Actually, the Germans in WWII did type identify the French/British Thompsons that they captured in 1940 and reissued them to second line troops. Ammunition was an issue that limited their use.
Sniper
#4
Posted 14 May 2004 - 04:53 PM
still looking for that pic of castro with the m1a1.......its out there someplace..............famous people with famous thompson's............still have not gotten around to that pic of hemingway with his 21a...............over.take care,ron
#5
Posted 14 May 2004 - 05:32 PM
QUOTE (Arthur Fliegenheimer @ May 14 2004, 03:25 PM) |
These TSMG's were only slightly used by the French in that they were dropped only once when surrendering. The Vichy French used them for their police forces. The Germans also used them in their propaganda war films. |
Droped only once while surendering!

Now that IS funny!

#6
Posted 14 May 2004 - 06:03 PM
QUOTE (Arthur Fliegenheimer @ May 14 2004, 03:25 PM) |
These TSMG's were only slightly used by the French in that they were dropped only once when surrendering. |
Just fowled me britches! I just about deleted this entire post; to mention 'Thompson' and 'French' at the same time...gaahh!
#7
Posted 14 May 2004 - 09:02 PM
Chris you watch to much Simpson's................."pick up bart, pick up bart"
#8
Posted 15 May 2004 - 06:48 AM

#9
Posted 15 May 2004 - 06:55 AM
#10
Posted 15 May 2004 - 01:12 PM
1) Run
2) Hide
3) Surrender
4) Collaborate
Any French folks reading this, sorry if this offends you. But I think it's pretty funny!
#11
Posted 15 May 2004 - 03:36 PM



Ok, maybe we went too far.

#12
Posted 15 May 2004 - 04:56 PM
#13
Posted 16 May 2004 - 09:19 AM
QUOTE (hardrede @ May 15 2004, 09:41 PM) |
De Gaulle told Johnson to get ALL American troops out of France in the 60's. Johnson replied, "Even the hundreds of thousands buried in your cemeteries?" DeGaulle STFU!!!! ![]() |
Do you have a source for that? That quote is suspicious.
#14
Posted 16 May 2004 - 04:04 PM
#15
Posted 16 May 2004 - 09:22 PM
Some French divisional commanders wept openly when the order to surrender was given, as many had the Germans on the run and were winning.
The French military was sold out by defeatists at the very highest levels. There was no widespread lack of courage or will to fight on the part of the armed forces as a whole.
The story of Vichy France is a whole different story.
The "thrown down once" crap is a bit much.
#16
Posted 16 May 2004 - 11:53 PM
#17
Posted 17 May 2004 - 10:16 AM
The French, never quite happy with the flawless performance of the Thompson (after designing the (In)famous Chauchat in WWI) redesigned the gun by removing some parts, adding others and modifying still others UNTIL their end goal was realized. The gun then performed as reliably as the other stuff that they actually did design.
This not only kept their arms designers busy, as well as their manufacturers, but also facilitated easier surrender.
Even those soldiers who had thoughts of fighting were rendered helpless by the inability of the gun to operate properly and were thus "forced" to do the right thing

Actual dialogue of a couple of unknown French soldiers in Bastogne in WWII:
"Eh Pierre, 'ow does these bullets get loaded een zees magazines, eh?"
"Oh HO! Jacques! You Fool! You are putting zee boolets een backwards! Oh ho HO! Zee Tommygun weel nevair function zat way!!"
"But Pierre, eef we load zee bullets een backwairds, Oh HO, zee gun weel fail to go zee rat-atat-tat OH HO HO ! And we weel be forced to surrender and this weel save us from zee battlefield owies!!"
"Jacques, you are sooooo smart! Oh HO! Zat ees zee reason that you are a General and ah am only a Capitan!!!"
Absolutely true statements!!

john
#18
Posted 17 May 2004 - 05:59 PM
QUOTE (hardrede @ May 17 2004, 06:56 AM) |
Not really. They were opportunitsts. |
Okayyyy soooo... They didn't help us? And 'we' didn't ask for help? I wasn't assigning motives....
#19
Posted 17 May 2004 - 06:34 PM
If the French didn't help (no matter what their motives were) then we most likely would have lost and lost badly. Why do you think we were so chummy chums with them during the War of 1812? Ben Franklin was a huge celebrity in France, and we did not have our "better than you" arrogance when they were saving our butts. Yes, saving our butts and helping us become a nation. Also - if France hadn't been in a war with England during the whole 1812 thing, then the English would have done far more than just burning Washington DC.
If you don't like the idea of being ruled by the King of england - thank the French because they were the ones fighting our mother country when we were still a weak fledgling nation. Let me say it again - If England hadn't been busy fighting the French, we'd still be ruled by England! So for once, can we please ditch the arrogant, condescending bull**** towards the French. It's old.
And no, I'm not French, never been to France, don't really like the country or the language, but I don't like hearing Americans trash other countries just like the rest of the world trash us. Let's grow up and get over it for Pete's Sake. Ok, got that out of my system... I feel better.
Another thing, I'm almost done... I'm betting that if we had seen as much warfare on our home front like the French did in the last century - we wouldn't want anymore war either. The French have been waging war and spilling their blood for centuries before we even existed... We never experienced (except for 4 years 1861-65) war like the French have and that is sure to create a certain disposition to war.
Oh one more thing, about the French being opportunists. When has the United States not been opportunists? We are one of the most opportunists nations on earth! How else do you think we got where we are! Let's think - Phillippines, Panama, Carribean Islands- Cuba, China, Canada, and Mexico. Also how about people groups? Native Americans, African-Americans, Chinese Immigratns, Japanese-Americans, Irish Immigrants, German Immigrants, Catholics, Jews, and the list could go on and on. yeah I would say that we have a pretty opportunistic past. If "he who is without sin, cast the first stone" statement is true, then I think we ought to be silent and not point fingers when it comes to who are opportunists. ok I'm done again. Phew! my fingers are tired.
By the way, none of this is to be taken too offensively, but see I live among rednecks, and I hear this crap constantly and just can't stand it anymore. Sometimes I can see why people in the rest of the world aren't too friendly with us and our attitudes.
Jaron
#20
Posted 17 May 2004 - 07:59 PM
i have no problem with that!! wink!!
take care,ron