The 31st Tank Regiment (Italian: 31° Reggimento Carri) is an inactive tank regiment of the Italian Army, which was based in Lecce in Apulia and last operationally assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo".

The regiment was formed in July 1937 by the Royal Italian Army and assigned to the I Armored Brigade.

In winter 1940-41 the regiment fought in the Greco-Italian War and in 1941 it participated in the Invasion of Yugoslavia.

In April 1943 the regiment was disbanded due to the heavy losses it had suffered in the Battle of El Guettar.

The regiment was immediately reformed in Italy, but it saw no further action, until German forces disbanded it after the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943.

Cracco" lost its autonomy and on 1 September 1993 entered the reformed 31st Tank Regiment.

On 23 November 1940, the Greek launched an offensive, which drove the Italian units back into Albania.

The Centauro unsuccessfully tried to stop the Greek advance at the Battle of Klisura Pass and then in Tepelenë.

In late March 1941 the Centauro division moved, in preparation for the Invasion of Yugoslavia, to Shkodër in northern Albania.

On 15 April 1941, the division defeated a Yugoslav attack near Koplik, and the next day, on 16 April, the division crossed into Yugoslavia north of Koplik and advanced to Kotor, Cetinje and Podgorica.

On 17 April the Centauro reached Trebinje, where it met up with units of the 133rd Armored Division "Littorio", which had advanced southward from Istria.

[2] In November 1942, the 31st Tank Infantry Regiment was sent to North Africa, where at the same time the Axis forces suffered a crushing defeat in the Second Battle of El Alamein.

On 18 April 1943, the regiment was disbanded in Tunisia due to the heavy losses it had suffered in the Battle of El Guettar.

Plans to expand the regiment again to full strength were thwarted by the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943, and the subsequent occupation of Italy by the German forces, which disbanded the 31st Tank Infantry Regiment.

[2][4] In November 1968 the regiment was deployed in the Province of Vercelli to help rescue efforts after heavy floods had devastated the area.

Tank and armored battalions created during the 1975 army reform were named for officers, soldiers and partisans of the tank speciality, who had served in World War II and been awarded Italy's highest military honor the Gold Medal of Military Valor.

The three battalions were assigned to the 31st Armored Brigade "Curtatone", which was formed on the same day by reorganizing the command of the 31st Tank Regiment.

As the Armored Division "Centauro" carried a historically significant name, the division ceased to exist on 31 October in Novara, and the next day in the same location the 31st Armored Brigade "Centauro" was activated.

[2][4] After the end of the Cold War Italian Army began to draw down its forces and on 31 July 1993, the 101st Tank Battalion "M.O.

Cracco", which lost its autonomy on 31 August of the same year and the next day, on 1 September 1993, the battalion entered the reformed 31st Tank Regiment.