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Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I, as Chief of the Small Arms
Division of the Office of the Chief of Ordnance, in which capacity he was charged with the design and production of all small arms and ammunition thereby supplied to the United States Army, which results he achieved with such signal success that serviceable rifles and ample ammunition therefore were at all times available for all troops ready to receive and use them.
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309:. While the rest of the Army was plagued with logistical problems, Thompson managed ordnance supply operations to Cuba efficiently. More than 18,000 tons of munitions were transferred to the battlefield from his Tampa command without any accidents. Thompson was promoted to colonel, the youngest such in the Army at the time.
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ammunition in the
Thompson submachine gun that he had vetted for use in the M1911 while in the Army. The weapon was patented in 1920, but the major source for contracts had ended with the armistice. Thompson, therefore, marketed the weapon to civilian law enforcement agencies, who bought it in
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The
President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Colonel (Ordnance Corps) John Taliaferro Thompson, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the
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in the war changed tactics substantially, and by 1916 Thompson was experimenting again with automatic small arms, this time attempting to design a weapon that troops could use to clear an enemy trench—what he called a "trench broom." Thompson studied several designs and was impressed with a
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cause. Since the U.S. did not immediately enter the war, and because he recognized a significant need for small arms in Europe (as well as an opportunity to make a substantial profit), Thompson retired from the Army in
November of that year and took a job as Chief Engineer of the
426:, Thompson returned to the Army and was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. He served as Director of Arsenals throughout the remainder of the war, in which capacity he supervised all small-arms production for the Army. For this service he was awarded the
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218:, from where he graduated in June 1882. Among his classmates there at the academy were several men who would, like Thompson himself (who graduated 11th in a class of 37), eventually attain the rank of
277:(near in his birthplace of Newport, Kentucky), where he was assigned to the 2nd Artillery as a second lieutenant. He then attended engineering and artillery schools and was finally assigned to the
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concept: a rifle utilizing the Blish principle delayed-blowback action to avoid the complexity of recoil-operated and gas-operated actions. Testing found that the military issue
198:, Thompson grew up on a succession of Army posts and had decided on the military as a career by the age of sixteen. His father was Lt. Col. James Thompson, his mother was Maria
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prompted the Army to order the
Thompson submachine gun in large quantities, and it was used extensively during that conflict in both original and modified versions.
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After the war, Thompson was appointed the chief of the Small Arms
Division for the Ordnance Department. While in this position he supervised the development of the
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unit, with fifteen weapons and a generous supply of ammunition, all shipped to Cuba on
Thompson's sole authority. This unit later played a significant role in the
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respectable quantities. However, by 1928, low sales had led the company to the financial crisis, and
Thompson was replaced as head of the Auto-Ordnance Company.
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pistol. For the latter, he devised unusual tests involving firing the weapon at donated human cadavers and live cattle to assess ammunition effectiveness.
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Thompson married Juliet
Estelle Hagans. Their son Marcellus Hagans Thompson was a 1906 West Point graduate who retired from the Army in 1919 as a
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in 1890, where he spent the rest of his military career. During this period he began his specialization in small arms.
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It was also this war that offered
Thompson his first exposure to automatic weapons. At the request of Lt.
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He retired again after the war, in December 1918, and resumed work perfecting the "Tommy Gun."
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Register of Graduates and Former Cadets 1802–1971 of the United States Military Academy
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Thompson died at the age of 79 on June 21, 1940, and is buried on the grounds of the
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Thompson's J.T.T inspector mark on a Colt Philippine Model of 1902 DA Revolver
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fraternity. After a year of class, in 1877, he gained an appointment to the
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cartridge was too powerful to work satisfactorily using the Blish system.
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Misfire: The Story of how America's Small Arms have failed our military
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363:. While with the company he supervised the construction of the
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began in Europe in 1914, and Thompson was sympathetic to the
656:. The West Point Alumni Foundation Inc. 1971. p. 318
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http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/history/background.htm#test
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Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
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American military personnel of the Spanish–American War
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574:. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 337.
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531:http://www.nfatoys.com/tsmg/web/genthomp.htm
182:officer known for being the inventor of the
611:"Valor awards for John Taliaferro Thompson"
403:delayed-blowback breech system designed by
752:United States Army generals of World War I
178:(December 31, 1860 – June 21, 1940) was a
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19:For other people named John Thompson, see
707:19th-century United States Army personnel
394:General John T. Thompson holding an M1921
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16:United States Army general (1860–1940)
732:United States Military Academy alumni
650:"Class of 1906—Register of Graduates"
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677:The Thompson-LaGarde Cadaver Tests
600:The Thompson-LaGarde Cadaver Tests
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533:John T. Thompson; A Brief History
156:Auto-Ordnance Corporation founder
702:Military personnel from Kentucky
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428:Army Distinguished Service Medal
128:1882–1914, 1917–1918
422:When the United States finally
742:Burials at West Point Cemetery
480:United States Military Academy
273:His first duty station was at
212:United States Military Academy
194:Born on December 31, 1860, in
21:John Thompson (disambiguation)
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727:People from Newport, Kentucky
570:Hallahan, William H. (1994).
424:entered the war in April 1917
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722:United States Army generals
546:Newport: The Sin City Years
373:Pattern 1914 Enfield rifles
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289:With the beginning of the
279:Army's Ordnance Department
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737:Indiana University alumni
625:"Thompson, Juliet Hagans"
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629:Army Cemeteries Explorer
206:and was a member of the
51:John Taliaferro Thompson
543:Caraway, Robin (2009).
417:Thompson submachine gun
337:M1903 Springfield rifle
322:Battle of San Juan Hill
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361:Remington Arms Company
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167:Italian pronunciation:
42:Photograph of Thompson
413:Auto-Ordnance Company
407:, a commander in the
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369:Chester, Pennsylvania
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171:[taljaˈfɛrro]
125:Years of service
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398:The introduction of
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285:Spanish–American War
216:West Point, New York
86:Great Neck, New York
248:Benjamin Alvord Jr.
98:West Point Cemetery
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307:William R. Shafter
305:campaign, General
295:lieutenant colonel
268:William H. Allaire
232:Adelbert Cronkhite
204:Indiana University
180:United States Army
119:United States Army
717:Firearm designers
613:. Military Times.
365:Eddystone Arsenal
220:brigadier general
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66:December 31, 1860
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81:(1940-06-21)
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692:1860 births
631:. U.S. Army
549:. Arcadia.
383:rifles for
352:World War I
347:World War I
318:Gatling gun
224:Edward Burr
686:Categories
660:2022-07-18
635:2022-07-19
581:0684193590
519:References
405:John Blish
214:(USMA) at
200:Taliaferro
190:Early life
105:Allegiance
62:1860-12-31
48:Birth name
501:Tommy Gun
444:Autorifle
184:Tommy gun
494:See also
176:Thompson
113:Service/
468:captain
455:caliber
377:British
238:,
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503:(book)
448:.30-06
385:Russia
356:Allied
266:, and
143:Awards
115:branch
93:Buried
88:, U.S.
71:, U.S.
474:Death
341:M1911
303:Cuban
576:ISBN
551:ISBN
375:for
133:Rank
76:Died
56:Born
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