Monthly Decals for October!

Hi everyone! We’re back with some more historical decals for October, 5 new and 5 from previous events. We’re happy to finally include the famous “A Colpo Sicuro” inscription for Italy, and a new frog friend from the somewhat obscure Wekusta 5 reconnaissance squadron. Thanks for taking part in getting these as always, we hope you like adding the decals you’re interested in to your collection, and keep leaving your suggestions for markings you’d like to see in the future!

The following decals will be available from October 8th (11:00 GMT) until November 7th (09:00 GMT).

All tasks can be completed using vehicles that are rank III or higher.

Wekusta 5 Emblem

The emblem of Wettererkundungsstaffel (Weather Reconnaissance Squadron) 5, Luftwaffe. The squadron was formed in early May 1940 in Trondheim, Norway, and operated under Air Fleet 5. The weather reconnaissance flights were considered vital, and each day the crew would fly to gather meteorological data to aid the air force. The crew on these reconnaissance flights was usually more limited, consisting of only a pilot, a radio operator, a mechanic (who also served as the gunner), and a meteorological expert. The rather comical emblem of the squadron depicts a “Wetterfrosch” (weather frog), a creature from German folklore based on the European Tree Frog that could supposedly predict the weather. People at the time believed the frog would climb vertically if the weather was to become sunny and downward if it was going to rain. This behaviour was not predictive but rather reactive however, giving no accurate foresight into the weather. Despite this, many people kept these frogs in jars, believing them to be something of a living barometer. The squadron operated several reconnaissance aircraft, including the Ju 88, He 111 and Do 17, with their frog emblem commonly positioned to the side of the cockpit.

A Colpo Sicuro Inscription

"A COLPO SICURO" Inscription, Royal Italian Army. Directly translated, the inscription reads "With a sure shot", though a more idiomatic translation would be “Without Fail”, or “With Certainty”, in context embodying the sentiment of confidence and precision. The marking more broadly was the motto of the 133rd Armored Division "Littorio", and was painted on several of its armored vehicles, though some sources claim that it could have originated earlier, with details overall being scarce. It has been identified on both M13/40 and M14/41 tanks, positioned on the gun mantlet curving above the barrel. Sources conflict on whether the inscription was red or black as the colors appear similar in black and white photographs, though more modern analysis suggests the inscription was likely painted black.

"Serving the People" Inscription

“Serving the People” (为人民服务) inscription, PLANAF. The personal inscription of pilot Lü Jiliang (吕纪良), who flew with the 6th Fighter Division during the 1960s. Slogans like this were especially common at the time, often portraying sentiments of loyalty, spirit and dedication. Lü Jiliang scored a shared victory against an F-4 Phantom that entered restricted airspace in 1967, with both Phantom pilots bailing out safely after the fight. As was typical with similar inscriptions, he displayed the marking prominently on the nose of his J-6 fighter.

"Dusty" Marking

“Dusty” marking, Royal Netherlands Air Force. Among the wide variety of aircraft flown by the RNLAF over its lifetime, a number of F-104 Starfighters were extensively operated, entering service with the Netherlands on December 12th, 1962. The most famous of these was "Dusty," an F-104G with the serial number D-8337, which was the first to achieve 3,000 flight hours. To commemorate this milestone, the crew of Volkel Air Base covered the aircraft in graffiti in December 1982. Among the markings, this cartoon face was painted on the aircraft's tail along with the name "Dusty." The specific relevance of the name is not completely clear, though likely relates to the aircraft simply being old and well used. The face also lacks specific context, though it could be an attempt to draw the comic character Obelix from memory.

421st Armored Brigade Emblem

The emblem of the 421st Armored Brigade, IDF. The Brigade was formed in 1972, operating the M48A3 Patton III during the Yom Kippur War. The Brigade just managed to form up in time for mobilization, and within a week were already in combat with Egyptian tanks. On October 14th the Brigade engaged a large number of Egyptian T-55 and T-62 tanks in the Chamutal area, reportedly destroying around 50 of them. It became the first armored unit to cross the Suez Canal during the war, later pushing deep into Egyptian territory. The brigade went on to destroy numerous vehicles and anti-aircraft stations while losing only a small number of its own tanks. Its emblem depicts a T-62 in a typical tank gunsight, and appeared most often as a badge or shoulder patch until the brigade was disbanded in 1986.

1st Rensei Hikotai Emblem

A marking of the 1st Rensei Hikotai (1st Fighter Operational Training Unit), IJAAF. Often erroneously named as the 520th Temporary Air Defence Squadron, the unit was formed on July 22nd, 1944. After completing its training, it supported the 10th Hikoshidan (10th Air Division) against B-29 raids. This marking was seemingly first depicted by illustrator Rikyu Watanabe after researching the group with former 1st Rensei Hikotai pilot Naito Noboru. It is unclear whether this marking was a recollection or directly recreated from private photographs, though it is attributed to a Corporal Kuroiwa. Variants of the marking later appeared on the fuselages of Special Attack units. This example (if accurate), predates those appearances however, suggesting the marking is possibly misattributed or perhaps even the genesis of the later markings. This is plausible, as pilots from the 1st Rensei Hikotai would go on to join the units confirmed to have used it. In this form, placement is depicted on the tail of a Ki-84 of the 1st Rensei Hikotai, with the red defense stripe covering the span of the entire tail.

2nd Mine Countermeasures Squadron Emblem

The emblem of the 2nd Mine Countermeasures Squadron, Royal Navy. The squadron was formed in October 1962 and was initially equipped with Ton-class minesweepers. These vessels took part in various mine clearance duties during the Cold War period, and were also sporadically used for salvage missions. After the Ton-class fleet was decommissioned, MCM2 was re-equipped during the 1990s with the Hunt class, a more versatile and adaptable platform. The squadron routinely operates as part of Operation Kipion in the Persian Gulf and coordinates with NATO in European waters to keep sea lanes clear. Its emblem depicts the Tudor Rose, a symbol from 1485 that represented the union of the warring houses of Lancaster and York. The design in this context likely aims to mirror this sentiment of peace and unity, reflecting the squadron’s mission of keeping the waters safe. Variants of this rose emblem could often be seen on the funnels of its vessels.

Värmland Regiment Emblem

The coat of arms of the Värmland Regiment, Swedish Army. The regiment's origins date back to the 16th century, when it joined with a similar regiment in Närke to form a larger group. This collaborative regiment split in 1812, at which point the Värmland Regiment was formally designated as the 22nd Infantry Regiment of the Swedish Army. It was reorganized and renamed several times until 2000, when it was disbanded as a result of the Swedish Defence Act (Försvarsbeslutet 2000). The badge is directly inspired by the coat of arms of Värmland, featuring an azure eagle with red talons, with the crossed golden swords denoting its status as an infantry branch.

8th Self-Propelled Artillery Brigade, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Battery Emblem

The Emblem of the 8th Self-Propelled Artillery Brigade, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Battery, USSR. Depictions of the 8th Brigade's base marking are often vague, making it difficult to determine what the bird is holding. One interpretation is an artillery shell, and another is simply a stone. Some birds native to the USSR such as crows and eagles use stones dropped from heights to break open food sources, which could have inspired the emblem. This might explain the object's somewhat blobby appearance in several depictions, but it is difficult to confirm conclusively. The two stripes above the bird indicate the second battalion, and the three arrows underneath denote the third battery. The marking could be seen primarily on the brigade's SU-76 units, either on the left side of the vehicle's rear or on the upper sides of the crew compartment.

Have Guns Will Travel Marking

“Have Guns Will Travel”, U.S. Army. The marking saw wide use on American vehicles during the Vietnam War, and was not specific to a single unit or group. It originates from a TV series from the 1950s, “Have Gun – Will Travel”, in which the protagonist Paladin, a chivalrous gunslinger, often used an iconic calling card: a white knight chess piece with an accompanying inscription. As a popular series among American military personnel, markings inspired by this calling card appeared on many vehicles, initially on several M48 tanks bearing the original name of “Have Gun Will Travel”. This was later somewhat humorously adapted to “Have Guns Will Travel” by various Air Defense Artillery units for vehicles with multiple barrels. In this form, its most common placement was on the front hull hatch of M42 Duster units, with the arrangement of the text and chess piece varying slightly between vehicles. This specific example was seen on an M42A1 of the 5th Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery.

Monthly markings can be found in a special tab at the bottom of the customization menu, (Monthly Decals) after a month, they’ll be moved to their corresponding category.

You can check the exact terms and track the progress of completing tasks for these decals by going to your Player Profile > Decals > Monthly Decals. From here, click the “Track progress” button on each decal to track from the hangar.

All of the emblems will come with a detailed description. This will generally consist of the history of the marking, its design, which vehicles used it, and where it was often placed on vehicles historically if applicable (some emblems are taken from badges, which weren’t always applied). This way you can more easily recreate the original positioning if you’d like.

We hope you like the October selection! Hopefully this will give you some little side-quests to do while the team is hard at work on the next major update. Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next month!