The Tommy Gun in Jungle Warfare

Abstract

Australian soldiers fighting on the Kokoda Trail in New Guinea in 1942 found the Thompson submachine gun to be indispensable. Lessons derived from this battle shaped Australian jungle warfare doctrine. Australian historians acknowledge the tactical use of submachine guns in this battle, which was one of the first in Southwest Pacific Area, but have somewhat overlooked the “Tommy” gun. The emphasis has instead been given to another submachine gun, the Australian-designed Owen gun, which came slightly later. This article examines the use and usefulness of the Tommy gun for Australian soldiers on the Kokoda Trail. It establishes that this gun was tactically and comparatively more important than has been presumed. The manner in which soldiers embraced and utilized the Thompson gun was important for their tactical adaptation to jungle warfare and the defeat of the Japanese.