THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN, Marine Corps COLONEL Signed Letter NICARAGUA OCCUPATION For Sale

The following LETTER is on consignment from a friend.  Should you have any questions, please ask them as soon as possible so that I can ensure an adequate response.

SUPERB CONTENT, typed-letter SIGNED by U. S. Marine Corps COLONEL Richard M. Cutts - who was the inventor of the “Cutts Compensator”, a muzzle brake used on the Thompson Submachine Gun to reduce muzzle climb.

The letter is dated November 26th 1926, on “Office of Naval Operations / Memorandum” letterhead, and addressed to Colonel Thompson of the “Auto Ordnance Corporation” - the maker of the Thompson “Sub”.  The “Auto-Ord Corp” was founded in 1916 by Brigadier General John Taliaferro Thompson in order to develop and produce the Thompson Submachine Gun.  Letter is also dated less than two months before the United States intervention into Nicaragua (“Second Nicaraguan Campaign”) on January 24th 1927, when the first U.S. element of 400 Marines arrived in Nicaragua, which had appealed to President Coolidge for assistance.

In the letter, Colonel Cutts lists FIVE action points, below the heading  – “Here is a statement of probabilities.  For your information only”.   These suggestions are as follows: 1) The Nicaraguan Constabulary will probably be reorganized, the present Commandant has failed and is persona non grata.  with the new Govt.    2) It will probably be done by a U.S. Military mission.   3) George K. Shuler late Capt U.S.M.C. late Treasurer N.Y. State and now in the bond business somewhere in N.Y. may probably get the job.   4) The constabulary will probably have to be rearmed. as the old equipment is obsolete and in bad condition.    5) Probably some arms will have to be bought.  Better get on the job, on the early bird theory, All of course on your own responsibility.

Colonel Cutts was actively working behind the scenes with Auto Ord to help promote future sales and create additional demand for the tommy gun as he would receive a royalty on EACH of the Cutts Compensators that were equipped on the Thompson Submachine Gun.   These ongoing activities included getting an audience before the various U.S. service branches to showcase the effectiveness of the Thompson in live firings, bouncing sales ideas off Auto Ord, and passing on potential sales leads.  This letter would follow into that LATER category.

During the “SECOND NICARAGUAN CAMPAIGN”, U.S. Marines were equipped with the Thompson submachine gun, an invaluable asset in the Nicaraguan jungle to help combat Sandinista ambushes.  Thompsons were usually carried by a non-commissioned officer at the “point” of a Marine patrol or a combined force of Marines and native constabulary.

The signature of Colonel Cutts is VERY SCARCE, as he died at the relatively young age of 56.

RICHARD MALCOLM CUTTS (1878 - 1934) was a soldier-inventor and the son of Lieutenant Commander Richard M. Cutts, USN.   Cutts himself was an Ensign in the U.S. Navy during the Spanish American War, and became a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in July of 1899.  Cutts was promoted to Captain in 1900, Major in 1903, Lieutenant Colonel in 1916, and finally Colonel in 1922.  He was in the Philippines in 1903, Cuba in 1912, Honolulu in 1915, and served in World War I – on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet.  From 1922 to 1924, Cutts was Commandant of the Santo Domingo National Army and later headed the First Brigade in Haiti, earning five campaign medals for his service.  He was assigned to the Naval War College in 1931. Colonel Cutts was also responsible for inventing the Cutts Compensator, a device that lessened the muzzle rise on the Thompson Submachine Gun and other firearms. The Cutts Compensator was adopted by the U.S. Government and several other nations.  He was recommended for promotion to Brigadier General, but ill health prevented this advancement.  Cutts is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. CONDITION: letter measures about 8 x 10 ½ inches in size and is in EXCELLENT overall condition with a bold signature.  There are two horizontal folds and two file punch holes along the top.  There are NO rips or tears, with the exception of a tiny tear (1/4 inch in length) in one of the file holes (see scans). The signature / autograph of Richard Malcolm Cutts is guaranteed authentic.   $5 for shipping, postage & INSURANCE.   Please let me know if you have any additional questions.