Thompson


 * For the submachine-gun in Battlefield Heroes, see Submachine gun (Battlefield Heroes)

The Thompson is a series of American submachine guns designed by John T. Thompson in 1919. The Thompson became infamous during the 1920s-30s. It had a long list of variants, most notably the M1928, M1 and M1A1 variants which were adopted by the United States military in 1938. It was also widely used by British and Canadian units in Europe during World War II.

The Thompson fired the .45 ACP cartridge placed in typically 20- to 30-round box magazines. The M1928 onwards models had a rate of fire of around 600-700 rounds per minute. It had an effective range of 50 meters.

Battlefield 1942
In Battlefield 1942, the Thompson is issued to the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, British Army and Canadian Army Medic kit. It has a high rate of fire, low damage, medium recoil and low accuracy. Although it has low recoil per shot, its high rate of fire, one of the highest for infantry weapons in the game, can create overwhelming recoil. This, along with its relatively low accuracy, makes the Thompson a horrible choice for long range engagements. However, the previously stated factors are ideal for close quarters, and even medium range if shot in bursts.

In Battlefield 1942: The Road to Rome, the British Army's Thompson is rather replaced with the Sten.

Battlefield 1943
In Battlefield 1943, the Thompson is issued to the USMC in the Infantry Kit. It has low power, low accuracy, a high rate of fire and 30 round magazine. It can kill in around 7 to 10 or so rounds, though its mediocre accuracy will require a few more shots to finally kill an enemy. It is essentially a close quarters weapon. Since the iron sights on the Thompson cannot be used, aiming simply closes up and increases accuracy, so it's efficiency deteriorates at longer ranges.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2
In Battlefield: Bad Company 2's singleplayer, the Thompson is seen during the beginning of the prologue, Operation Aurora. The player has it in his hands while in the boat, however drops it in the water when ordered to jump out when discovered by the Japanese. Throughout the level, it is used by Thomas Wyatt's squad mates. It is not available for use by the player.

In multiplayer, the WWII M1928A1 Thompson is a submachine gun issued to all kits, unlocked by reaching rank 10, and a featured unlock provided with purchase of the Battlefield: Bad Company 2's Limited or Ultimate Edition. It uses the same weapon model from Battlefield 1943, though it appears to be rusted some areas due to old age and poor weapon care. The weapon can be used with all kits, however it cannot utilize a 4X Rifle Scope or a Red Dot Sight.

It is most effective at short-medium range, though it is the weakest weapon in its category, and only beats the Type 88 LMG, M60 and F2000 in terms of damage per minute amongst automatic weapons, as well as having some of the highest recoil amongst submachine guns. Though some players have noted that it "feels" very accurate with low recoil, it is more of a novelty weapon in the eyes of some players, though it retains the advantage of being the only submachine gun available to the Assault, Medic and Recon kits.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam
In Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam, the WWII M1A1 Thompson is issued to all kits, unlocked at rank 10 in conjunction with Battlefield: Bad Company 2's multiplayer. It has exactly the same stats as the one in the base game, though with increased damage, and slightly modified range, dropping after 18m rather than 16m such as in the base game.

Its appearance has changed slightly: it has darker iron pieces and is obviously more rusted and worn out. As well, its fore grip and magazines are wrapped around with a khaki-colored cloth, similar to many other weapons in the expansion.

Trivia

 * In Battlefield 1943, the Thompson is a direct equivalent in stats to the IJN Type 100.
 * Early on the Thompson appeared to be a Limited Edition-exclusive weapon for Battlefield: Bad Company 2. However, the weapon is available to all players upon being promoted to Rank 10, something disappointing for many players who purchased the Special Edition for it.
 * The Thompson used to be glitched and kills made with the Thompson wouldn't be tracked. Rather, kills with the M1 Garand would count towards the Thompson's kill count. This has since then been patched.
 * When the Thompson is reloaded, the user can see the bullet in the chamber is actually ejected, but nothing happens to the ammo count.

Videos
Video:WWII M1A1 Thompson|Gameplay with the WWII M1A1 Thompson in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 at Panama Canal on Squad Deathmatch Video:M1 Thompson|Gameplay with the WWII M1A1 Thompson in Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam at Operation Hastings in Conquest mode and Cao Son Temple in Rush mode