- Yes
- No
Introduction
Hello everyone!
I would like to propose the addition of the historical marking of the Divisione corazzata “Centauro” (131ª) to be applied on Italian vehicles in War Thunder.
The division was one of the most important units of the Regio Esercito Italiano (Royal Italian Army) during World War II, with a service record rich in battles and moments of significant historical relevance.
I believe adding this marking would not only enhance the historical authenticity of the game, but also give Italian armored vehicles a touch of personality and recognition.
History of the division
The Divisione corazzata “Centauro” (131ª) was officially formed on 20 April 1939 in Cremona, deriving from the transformation of the 1ª Brigata corazzata. It was initially stationed in Albania and later deployed to the Greek front, where it suffered a setback at Kalibaki and was mostly used to cover the retreat of other Italian divisions in difficulty. In April 1941, during the Yugoslav campaign, it achieved a decisive victory, breaking through enemy lines at Kopliku and advancing as far as Ragusa, from where it returned to Italy to be restructured.
In 1942 it was reorganized and sent to North Africa to reinforce Axis troops in Tunisia. The transfer, however, was chaotic and incomplete: some of the vehicles never left Italy, others were lost during transport, including under bombing in Palermo, and those that did arrive were immediately reassigned to other worn-out units. This prevented the Divisione corazzata “Centauro” (131ª) from deploying as an organic division.
Nevertheless, its units fought on the front lines. Tanks from the XIV and XVII battalions, integrated into Raggruppamento “Cantaluppi” along with the remnants of the “Ariete” and “Littorio” divisions, took part in one of the rare series of Italian victories against U.S. and British troops: at Ousseltia (January 1943) they inflicted around 300 casualties on the French, capturing vehicles and artillery; at the Kasserine Pass (February 1943) they spearheaded the breakthrough of American lines, forcing the enemy to retreat and capturing numerous abandoned vehicles; at El Guettar (March 1943) on April 25 they destroyed 28 British tanks at the cost of only 4 losses, thanks to the effective use of the Semovente da 75/18.
By March 1943, exhausted and severely reduced, the division held out for 12 days against attacks from the U.S. II Corps at Gafsa before being withdrawn. On 7 April 1943 it was officially declared dissolved in the war zone, but some units continued fighting within the Raggruppamento corazzato “Piscitelli”, alongside the German 10th and 21st Panzer Divisions.
On 8 May 1943, near Bizerte, only five Italian M. 14 tanks, four German Tiger tanks, and six Semovente da 75/18 remained. With these reduced forces they managed to score one last defensive victory, but the overwhelming numerical and logistical superiority of the Anglo-American forces made further resistance impossible. Between 9 and 13 May 1943, what remained of Axis forces in Tunisia surrendered, marking the end of the Axis presence in North Africa.
Decal
During its operational history, the division used various stylized emblems, photographed on tanks, self-propelled guns, and other armored vehicles, with some differences in style and color. For this suggestion, I propose adopting a single, historically documented emblem: the one applied to the doors of the division’s Autocannone da 90/53 su Lancia 3 Ro.
This emblem depicts a black stylized centaur, airbrushed with the aid of a stencil, shown in mid-gallop while aiming and drawing a bow, ready to shoot an arrow.
Adding this emblem to Italian vehicles in the game would enhance historical authenticity and give the division a unique touch of personality, honoring its history and its role during World War II. While the Autocannone da 90/53, on which this emblem was originally applied, is not currently present in War Thunder, this proposal could be considered with a view to its possible future implementation, or the emblem could be applied to other historically related vehicles in the division.
Sources
Pignato, Nicola e Cappellano, Filippo, Insegne, uniformi, distintivi e tradizioni delle truppe corazzate italiane, T. & T. Edizioni, Dogana (Repubblica di San Marino), 2005, pp. 177-180.
Pignato, Nicola e Cappellano, Filippo, Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’Esercito Italiano. Volume primo (dalle origini fino al 1939), Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito – Ufficio Storico, Roma, 2002, pp. 882-883.
Divisione corazzata “Centauro” (131ª), Wikipedia, l’enciclopedia libera, consultato il 9 agosto 2025, https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divisione_corazzata_Centauro