The Thompson submachine gun, or Tommy gun, developed an almost iconic status during the 20th century.

Developed during the dying days of World War I as a 'one-man, hand-held machine gun', the prototypes never saw service in Europe, but once the M1921 Thompson formally entered production it was used by the criminals working in Chicago and New York during the 1920s. With the police increasingly outgunned they too were forced to equip themselves with the Tommy gun.

It quickly came to be used in Hollywood films. Yet, once the US entered World War II, the Thompson submachine gun began a second career as part of the US Army. It also became the weapon of choice for the small band of British commandos as they conducted a number of daring raids against the heart of occupied Europe.

Covering these various usages, this is a fascinating and insightful development history of an iconic weapon that virtually spanned the 20th century from the close of World War I to the Yugoslav War.