On the 15th of September, 1916, exactly 109 years ago, the world witnessed an event that forever changed the image of war. It happened in France, near the Somme River. The British army was assaulting German trenches when it deployed a brand-new weapon: armored, tracked monsters created specifically to breach defensive lines.
After the defeat in World War 2, Japan was in no position to develop or acquire new military aircraft. After the end of the official Allied occupation of the islands, the country adopted a strict policy of non-involvement, vowing never to take part in foreign conflicts and banning all forms of military export. At the same time, given the reality of living in a world divided between two superpowers, Japan also started rebuilding its armed forces for self-defense purposes.
Messerschmitt’s Bf 110 was one of the Luftwaffe’s principal heavy fighters on the eve of the Second World War. When it first appeared, the twin-engine aircraft was seen as a powerful, modern weapon, but within just a few years, progress began to leave it behind. The high command hurried to find a worthy successor in the same class, and in the autumn of 1938, the Air Ministry launched a program to develop a new aircraft. By that time, Messerschmitt had already been working on a replacement for more than a year. The designers began with the proven Bf 110 layout, but the scale of the changes was so great that the result was essentially a new machine. Thus the Me 210 was born.
During the Second World War, Switzerland remained one of the few neutral states in Europe. But preserving that status took more than diplomacy — it required force as well. That force was used more than once, and a key pillar of Switzerland’s defensive strategy became its air force.
Every nation in the game has a vehicle that caps its tech tree and defines its identity. For Italy, wheeled gun platforms have always been a signature theme. With the Ninth Wave update, this class gets a new top dog: the Centauro II prototype. And yes, there are no wheeled vehicles in War Thunder with a higher battle rating. Beyond this point, it’s MBTs only. Let’s see how the newcomer holds up in such serious company.
During the Cold War, countries with limited means usually relied on allied suppliers for defense. At times, though, circumstances pushed such states to join forces and develop their own equipment. A prime example was the joint Romanian-Yugoslav project that produced the IAR-93 Vultur and the J-22 Orao.
October 12th marks the National Day of Spain, commemorating Christopher Columbus’s discovery of America on this day in 1492 under the flag of the Spanish Crown. October 12th also marks Spanish Language Day, the native language of nearly 500 million people worldwide. In honor of this event, we’re pleased to present a new video in our popular Moments of Valor series, dedicated to Spain!