How to earn War Thunder's May monthly decals
War Thunder drops a fresh batch of historical decals every month, and May 2026 is no exception. Ten unique markings are available from May 13th at 11:00 GMT through June 11th at 09:00 GMT, covering nations from the USA and France to Norway and Argentina. Each decal has its own task requirement, and knowing exactly what you need before queuing up saves a lot of wasted matches. Here's everything you need to earn the full set.
Monthly decals tab location
What are War Thunder monthly decals?
Monthly decals are time-limited cosmetic markings tied to historical units, vehicles, and personnel. Gaijin releases a new set each month, each with a dedicated unlock task. Once the event window closes, completed decals move to their permanent category in your collection. Decals you didn't finish are gone until Gaijin decides to rotate them back.
All tasks for the May set require Rank III vehicles or higher. That means your low-tier starters won't count toward any of these challenges, so plan your lineup accordingly before you start grinding.
You can track each decal's progress individually. Go to Player Profile > Decals > Monthly Decals, then hit the "Track progress" button on whichever marking you're working toward. This pins the counter to your hangar HUD so you always know where you stand.
How do you unlock each May decal?
The ten May decals span six nations and three vehicle types. The table below breaks down every task at a glance.
Track decal progress in hangar
Which tasks are the fastest to complete?
Not all ten tasks are equal in terms of time investment. After looking at the requirements, a few stand out as quick wins and a couple will take real effort.
Fastest tasks:
- "BB Girl" Pinup (France): Five top-5 finishes with French Aircraft is achievable in a single session with a competent plane like the MD.450 Ouragan, which is historically tied to this very decal.
- Democracy Deliverer Inscription (USA): Three top-3 finishes sounds tight, but American Ground Vehicles at Rank III and above have strong lineups. Consistent play in Realistic Battles gets this done quickly.
- 28th TFS Emblem (China): Ten wins with Chinese Aircraft is straightforward if you're already comfortable with the Chinese air tree.
More demanding tasks:
- Personal Marking of Vasily Isaev (USSR): 50 player defeats with Soviet Aircraft takes the most raw time. Bring a fast, well-armed fighter like the Yak-9U (the exact aircraft Vasily Isaev flew, per Gaijin's official description) to maximize your kill rate per match.
- CC Battaglione Carri SOMUA Emblem (Italy): 40 defeats specifically with Italian Medium Tanks narrows your vehicle options considerably. Focus on medium tanks in the Italian ground tree rather than light or heavy options.
- "Ikazuchi" Inscription (Japan): Accumulating 20,000 damage with Japanese Bluewater Vessels requires you to play naval battles, which tend to run longer than ground or air matches.
The Narvik Battalion task requires 60% minimum Battle Activity per match to count. Passive play or early disconnects will void that game entirely. Stay active throughout each battle.
Yak-9U for Isaev decal task
Historical background: what are these markings?
Gaijin includes detailed historical write-ups for every decal, which is one of the genuinely good parts of this system. A few highlights from the May batch:
The Democracy Deliverer Inscription was painted on the barrel of an M1A2 SEP V2, reflecting the modern tradition of tank naming that dates back over 100 years. Under some regiments today, naming a tank is an earned right reserved for crews who meet a standard of excellence.
The Personal Marking of Vasily Isaev honors a Soviet pilot who flew the Yak-1, Yak-9, and Yak-9U during World War II, credited with 17 aerial victories and 4-5 shared victories. He later published a book of wartime memoirs in 1975 titled "Za Chistoe Nebo" (For Clear Skies).
The Narvik Battalion Emblem is particularly fresh: the battalion was officially renamed on December 12th, 2025, to honor Norwegian military efforts during the 1940 Battle of Narvik. The golden griffin emblem dates back to 2003 and traces its origins to the Viking Age in northern Norway.
The FlaLehrRgt 6 Emblem represents a German anti-aircraft training regiment that received its first Gepard anti-air vehicles on August 4th, 1977. Gaijin notes that decals currently cannot be placed on the Gepard's radar material, so the preview screenshot applies it to the skin instead. This will be corrected in a future model update.
Where do decals appear on vehicles?
Each decal description specifies the historical placement on the original vehicle. For example:
- The Democracy Deliverer Inscription was painted on the barrel of an M1A2 SEP V2, ahead of the bore evacuator.
- The "BB Girl" Pinup was on the port side of MD.450 Ouragan number 328, above the topmost gunport.
- The Personal Marking of Vasily Isaev was on the starboard side of his Yak-9U, under the engine exhaust.
- The 28th TFS Emblem was painted on the tail of F-104 Starfighters.
You're free to place decals wherever you like in-game, but replicating the historical position is a nice touch if you care about authenticity.
Decal placement on vehicle hull
How do you find completed monthly decals later?
Once the June 11th deadline passes, any decals you unlocked move from the Monthly Decals tab into their corresponding permanent category. They won't disappear from your collection, but the task to earn them closes. Decals you didn't finish are no longer obtainable until a potential future rotation.
To access them going forward, navigate to the standard Decals section in the customization menu and search by nation or category. The monthly tab itself resets with the next batch in June.
The screenshot competition running alongside these decals (competition 223, themed "Decorated for Duty") specifically asks for vehicles wearing custom skins, decals, or decorators. Completing your monthly decals gives you fresh material to enter with before the May 15th submission deadline.
For more strategies across ground, air, and naval modes, the War Thunder guides collection covers everything from beginner fundamentals to top-tier tactics. War Thunder sits firmly among the most played shooter games on PC, and cosmetic depth like this monthly system is a big part of why the community keeps coming back. If you want a broader look at what the game offers beyond decals, the full War Thunder game page has the latest news and updates.