One of the most recognizable weapons in history, the Thompson even gained a nick-name that took on a generic meaning to describe any sub-machine gun: the Tommy Gun. The Thompson Sub-machine gun was designed by General John T. Thompson in 1921 in response to a combat lesson learned during the First World War. High volume of fire is needed in close-quarter combat. The M1 first saw combat in limited quantities in the hands of U.S. Marines, such as Chesty Puller in Nicaragua in 1927. The