This is a question about the use of infantry support weapons in ww2. I have heard many descriptions about how infantry weapons such as the Thompson and BARs were issued in the squad in ww2. For instance, some say the Thompson was issued to the officers, etc. My father fought in the south Pacific in the Philippines. I once asked him this question and he reported that sub-machine guns and automatic weapons were rotated around the squad so that; if one man went down, the other could pick it up and not find it unfamiliar. Every man gained equal experience with each weapon. It was a very team oriented approach. Has anyone else heard of this?
The Thompson wasn't usually issued to officers per se, but they could scrounge for them. Thompsons were usually issued to drivers and the crews of armored vehicles; officers carried M1 carbines or M1911 pistols.
Submachine guns evidently found their way into rifle squads at an early time, before the Tables of Organization were updated, but per TO 7-17 and the amendment of June 1944, they were finally "officially" issued. Two Thompson submachine guns were issued to the battalion headquarters, and six Thompson submachine guns were issued to the headquarters of each rifle company to be meted out as the commander saw fit; these inevitably found their way to the rifle squads. On paper, the squad leader still carried the M1 rifle. All members of the squad usually carried a few extra magazines for the BAR, giving the gunner potentially several thousand rounds at his disposal. A second BAR sometimes found its way into the Army rifle squad, and on paper, the F-Series Marine rifle squad had 3 BARs.
Sources:
TO 7-17 Rifle Company, dated 26 February 1944 (with Change no. 1, 30 June 1944) http://www.militaryresearch.org/7-17%2026Feb44.pdf
Marine Rifle Squad http://www.ww2gyrene.org/rifle_squad.htm