Lets mention words of the founder, Yannis Kadari:

Mes amis, chers lecteurs,

En tant que fondateur et dirigeant des éditions Caraktère, c’est à moi que revient le douloureux privilège de vous annoncer que la société cessera ses activités dans les prochaines heures ; après l’audience de ce lundi au tribunal de commerce de Marseille (là où elle est née le 6 juin 2003) Caraktère n’ira pas plus loin.

L’entreprise n’est plus en mesure de poursuivre son aventure, la chute vertigineuse des ventes qui a touché le monde de l’édition durant cet été a rendu vain toute tentative de redressement. C’est donc avec une immense tristesse que je vous annonce la fermeture prochaine de notre site internet et de la société. La prise de commandes est désormais impossible. Plus aucun magazine ne paraîtra, et nous ne savons pas si un éventuel repreneur se manifestera. Nous servirons un maximum de commandes aujourd’hui. Certaines commandes (abonnements) ne seront pas prises en compte, pour éviter de vous faire dépenser de l’argent pour rien. D’autres l’ont été, nous ne pouvions pas faire autrement à ce moment-là.

Fortement touchée par la catastrophe de la faillite de Presstalis en 2017, puis celle d’Export Press, puis la crise sanitaire du Covid, Caraktère a toujours réussi à faire face. Pareillement, la société a été capable d’absorber les hausses délirantes de papier et d’énergie en 2021-2022 ainsi que les taxes stupides et injustes imposées par l’État à travers l’ARCEP, mais le coup fatal aura été porté sur le front intérieur : le durcissement des règles de distribution, la chute du réseau des marchands de journaux, la hausse continue des coûts de distribution, sans parler des tracasseries administratives qui n’en finissent jamais, m’ont amené à mettre Caraktère sous la protection de la loi en novembre 2024. Si la sortie du printemps 2025 s’annonçait difficile mais pas impossible, en revanche, les mois de juin, juillet et août ont été désastreux sur le plan des ventes de magazines, alors que les sommaires étaient bons. Certaines revues ont connu des baisses de plus de 20 % de leurs ventes ; du jamais vu en 22 ans de métier ! Nos livres ne sont plus achetés non plus, malgré le soin apporté à leur confection par toute l’équipe. Avec de moins en moins de clients, une entreprise ne pas peut pas survivre.

Avant que les habituels experts auto-proclamés ne se lancent dans des analyses fumantes, sans rien connaître à ce métier, sur « le pourquoi du comment de la fin de Caraktère », je tiens à vous encourager à soutenir les éditeurs restants, nos confrères, qui sont aussi dans une situation très compliquée. Car c’est toute la presse magazine indépendante française qui est en danger de disparaître.

Je voulais vous dire un grand merci, du fond du cœur, pour ces 22 années de passion commune. Rien n’aurait été possible sans vous tous. Cette aventure merveilleuse qu’aura été Caraktère, c’est la vôtre !
Je souhaite aussi m’excuser auprès de vous pour ne pas avoir été capable de redresser la situation. J’ai essayé de trouver des investisseurs, des repreneurs, mais beaucoup sont inquiets et ils ne souhaitent pas prendre de risques.

Je maintiendrai actives les pages Facebook pendant un certain temps pour répondre à vos questions et vous tenir informés de la procédure. Quant à moi, il ne me reste plus qu’à me « réfugier » chez la microscopique Overlord Press, et à réfléchir à ce que je peux faire ou pas. Allez savoir, on se retrouvera peut-être.
Merci,

Yannis Kadari

Fondateur (à jamais) des éditions Caraktère

Early Warning

If you take a look on my other web site www.sreckobradic.com you will notice much of articles related to social destruction, technology and other things, which indicate that we are in special period of civilization, with obvious note that civilization is under collapse and this is processes held by organized groups. This is what I talk in past with Yannis and we mention that when we met in 2016. That was amazing meting, chat, dinner, this will never to forget.

Internet kill many things. People want more and more free things and brain was to many arested so many people are unabled to read larger text, all result to effects of short movies and text messages. This is why I want and with support, have start one edition of publications with just 48 pages, originaly I wanted even shorter, 32. This is what affect many publisher, piracy of the new printed publication wipe of part of readers. So many time I have argue with admins of some groups on VK who have published Caraktere publication there for free download in digital form.

Yannis understand al of this, from market problems, readers problems and also that word will face some notorious and sinister changes. Faced with those events, I did get house at countryside at 2015., Yannis did the same. Smart and wise man. And under new condition, he continue work.

CoVid killer

Then come the one major event, after that world is not the same anymore. Well known Covid crisis, which make people one big flock controlled by dozen of world manipulators. This make disaster for many, including of Caraktere. Readers rapidly drop down, paper prices as well print service grown up. With so many of editions covering land, sea and air, it is more then difficult challenge to face with it. Also some valuable members and authors were lost, like Jean Claude Mermet, one amazing researcher and great friend. I will definitely miss him. Few years before, Caraktere lost its Editor, famous CJE. CJE did help me to become part of the Caraktere and work there for a many years.

[See image gallery at www.letletlet-warplanes.com] Yannis under new circumstanced continue to bravery manage publications, they keep on they top content, find new resources and keep good work conditions with authors. They always good pay to contributors and treat em with respect, many other publications can not say the same.

The End?

Not sure in that. Yannis will not give up so easy after so many years and experience in publishing. Maybe he will hibernate some period and he will be for sure back one day. Just hope he will survive what will come, creators of world crisis are still in force and did not give up from their sinister mission. From my side, I am grateful first in friendship, attitude and respect I receive from Yannis and his team. It is my great pleasure to say that I was part of for sure best publisher in the world, no one could match them. For a period, Caraktere was my second home. Even after this farewell, they publications will be most wanted for a many years to come.

Srećko Bradić

Same book is hard bound and have 14 main chapters. At the very beginning is intro, where authors give his impression to the subjects well give proper grants and credit to those who assist to publication. Follow to that is chapter which give brief description of the multi role fighters, his technical aspect and features. Include also tables with very suitable data.

Above mention chapters are dedicated to countries and inside each chapters are one or more type of airplane. Following countries are included: China, Pakistan, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, France, India, Israel, Japan, Sweden, Soviet Union and Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, USA. Author did some interesting range of subjects included, so you can here find latest Russian fighter Su-57 as well Golden jet age F2H Banshee, so the reader could provide there wide range of info as well get more interest in other period of aviation.

Book is full color with so many excellent photos (some are rare), good technical drawings as well rich illustrated with color profiles.

ISBN: 978-3-613-04394-7
Title-Nr.: 04394
Cover: hard bound
Number of pages: 192
Number of photos: 180 photos
Format: 230mm x 265mm
Released: 09/2021
Price: 24.90 €

Heiko has once again did beautiful job and to our fortune, he work on new one. Book is interesting to wide range of aviation of fans as well those with less knowledge to those with good aviation background. I grant thanks to author for sample book and you can get your sample here!!

Srećko Bradić

It is pleasure to hold in hands and read book Jagdflugzeuge – Weltweit by the author Heiko Thiesler. This is fresh publication from Motorbuch Verlag, well known publisher of the aviation publications. This book listed some of the very important jet fighter types manufactured by China, France, Great Britain, Canada, Soviet Union and United States. Book is full illustrated, hard cover with 176 pages!! Inside each chapter are selected types produced by particular country and entire book is rich filled with nice photos, technical drawings and color illustrations. Text is rich, concise and include enough info to provide reader good general info of the types.

Lovely title and I wish the author so many titles such this one and special thanks to Heiko Thiesler for provided sample of book. More info and order you can find here!

Srećko Bradić

This publication allow the reader to see experience from first hand the dramatic moments in the dogfight over the Libyan desert and Egypt. Special operations lead the most experienced crews over several thousand kilometers to Alexandria, the base of the British Mediterranean Fleet. The 2.(F)/123 flies in the Balkan campaign over Greece and creates for the air landing company on Crete the strategically important aerial map of the island.

From Greece, the aircraft of the 2.(F)/123 launch reconnaissance targets in Palestine, Syria and Cyprus. German and British combat reports describe the dangerous encounters with Spitfires and Hurricanes over Haifa and Beirut. Ju 86 altitude reconnaissance and the more powerful Ju 88 T machines are to bring about the turnaround in the lossy missions in the eastern Mediterranean. Nachtluftbildeinsätze, convoy search and Bf 109 hunting reconnaissance portray unsparingly the difficult situation of the crews despite opposing air superiority to survive the reconnaissance missions.

This extensively researched work combines largely unknown pictorial material with archive documents and personal records of contemporary witnesses. With 365 rare and never seen before black-and-white images, 11 maps, 9 color profiles of the types of aircraft flown and a comprehensive section complete this unique history of the 2(F)/123, the “Adler mit dem Fernrohr”.

Special thanks for sample publication! For more info and orders, visit http://www.fernaufklaerer.com/

Srecko Bradic

Numerous special operations of this Fernaufklärerstaffel have been preserved in original reports and describe in an impressive form the image formation at night, guiding the speedboats in the convoy combat, combat reconnaissance over the British landing zone at Dieppe, deployments with Bf109 Jagdaufklärern over southern English ports or the discontinuation of a parachute agent over England.

Based on German and British documents, the author has managed to reconcile the entries in the War Diary of 1. (F) / 123 with personal records of crew members and thus the increasingly hopeless situation of the long-range reconnaissance on the canal front also from the perspective of the individual soldier to present impressively.

With the transfer to Italy, the losses of the squadron rise dramatically in the missions over North Africa, Malta and during the invasion of Sicily, so that the squadron in the course of the fighting in Italy is finally dissolved. At the beginning of 1945 the reorganization of the 1st (F) / 123 takes place and the squadron flies until the end of the war long-distance reconnaissance with the legendary jet aircraft Ar 234.

This extensively researched work is based on previously unpublished recordings, archive material, interviews and operational reports. 380 b/w shots, 12 maps, 10 color profiles of the flown aircraft types and the complete loss list of the squadron complete this unique story of the “Knöpfekopfstaffel” 1. (F) / 123.

Title: Die Knullenkopfstaffel
Sub title: Fernaufklärung mit der 1. Staffel/Aufklärungsgruppe 123 über Frankreich, Großbritannien, dem Mittelmeer und über dem Reich
Author: Harald Rabeder
Format 28 x 23,5 cm, gebunden mit farbigem Schutzumschlag, 336 Seiten, 402 historische Abbildungen, Deutsch
ISBN: 978-3-8035-0079-3
Typ: Buch
Web: http://www.fernaufklaerer.com

Special thanks to author for free sample of this publication.

Srecko Bradic

• La modernisation des Main Battle Tanks (the modernisation of the Main Battle Tanks)

The MBT of the new generation are hevily costly and maintenance is also very onerous. So, many countries are choosing to « retrofit » tanks of the previous generation(s), reinforcing protection, adding new systems, upgrading guns, etc. The article presents the options chosen by different countries for different types of MBT.

(8 pages, 16 color photos)

• Karl Heinz Turk

In de « Des Panzers et des Hommes » (Panzers and men) serie, this short article depicts the last days of the defence of Berlin as a Tiger tank commander.

(2 pages 2 b/w photos, color drawings of Tiger II n°100)

• Koursk : Panzers versus tanks soviétiques (Kursk : Panzer versus Soviet tanks)

All the most important tanks that took part in the Battle of Kursk are presented and compared between them. The new, technologically advanced Panzers struggled against a Soviet army that was finally free of his obsolete T-26 and BT-7. Comparrison and presentation of the medium tanks, heavy tanks, tank hunters, heavy tank hunters, assault guns/tank hunters, self propelled artillery, flamethrower tanks and also the Allied tanks that were present at Kursk.

(14 pages, lot of drawings)

• A22 Infantry Tank MK.IV – Churchill MK.IV NA75

How did the captain Percy Hulme Morell to upgrade the A22…

(Two pages, 1 color profile, 1 b/w drawings page)

• Comment la Panzerwaffe a perdu la guerre (How did the Panzerwaffe manage to loss the war)

Subtitled « L’illusion de la supériorité technologique » (The technological superiority illusion), this long article tries to explain why the germans won lots of battle when they had inferior material, and loosed battles when they had the technological superiority. Reasons are presented and argumented. A very interresting article that is a must to read !

(24 pages, 43 photos, 5 pages of profiles)

• Autocanone DA75/27 C.K. Itala X

This Autocanone appeared during the First World War and was an advanced vehicle at tha period.

(2 pages, color drawings and b/w drawings)

• Le Krupp Protze : un tracteur d’artillerie atypique (The Krupp Protze : an atypical artillery tractor)

Wit hits special design (the front of the vehicle being low), the Protze was a very successfull product from Krupp. Not only he served as artillery tractor, but some crew adapted some systems on the Protze ; by example fixing on it a 3,7cm Pak 36

(12 pages, 19 photos, drawings)

• AMX 30 Brennus : le char réactif (AMX 30 Brennus : the reactive tank)

With the experience of the Gulf War, and awaiting the production of the Leclercq MBT, France constated that a better protection was needed for the AMX-30. So was realised the Brennus, equipped with explosive reactive armour. The tank did not take part to any war but was ready to do that before the arrival of the Leclercq.

(9 pages, 22 photos, technical datas, 1 color profile, 1 page of b/w drawings)

• Actualité BD : Cette machine tue les Fascistes (Comics news : This machine kills Fascists)

The comic presented this time depicts the history of a JS-1 during the 50 years of service he made ; first in Russia against Nazis, then Prague, the African civil wars, Afghanistan.

(1 page, covert art of the comic book and 5 images)

• Débat d’actulalité (comments on actuality)

A French reader of TNT reacts after the article of TNT54 about the 10 best MBT of the world. He disagree that the Leclerc occupies the 4th place. Interresting !

TNT is as always warmly recommended !

Daniel Clamot

• Les véhicules transports de troupes de l’armée belge (The transport carrier vehicles of the Belgian army): after WWII and at the beginning of the Cold War, the Belgian army received material from the USA thanks to the MDAP (Mutual Defense Assist Program). So Belgium received M2A1 and M3/M3A1 half-tracks. Being always limited by budget reasons, the Belgian army transport carriers evolved with that point taken into account. After the half-tracks, Belgium bought successively M75, French AMX-13, M113, CVRT Spartan, AIFV, MPPV Dingo II and the most recent Pandur and Piranha FUS.

(8 pages, 20 photos)

• Balthasar “Bobby” Woll: in the “Panzer and People” serie, the magazine focuses this time on Balthasar Woll that was first a crewman of Michael Wittman before to become himself a tank leader. Woll survived to the war.

(2 pages, 1 photo, 4 view color drawing of Tiger I “212” of the 1.Zug 2.Kompanie Schwere SS. Panzer-Abteilung 101)

• Medium Assault Tank M4A3E2 “Jumbo”: After the Gazala battle in 1942, the US Army constated that the Medium tank M3 (Lee/Grant) were unable to resist against the German antitank weapons. The arrival of the M4 Sherman did not ameliorate the situation because it was not well protected. So the Americans decided to develop an over-protected Sherman…

(6 pages, 6 photos, 1 technical data, 1 color drawing, 1×4 view b/w drawing)

• Les meilleurs engins de combat de la seconde guerre mondiale (the best combat vehicles of the WWII): answering to the question “which side had the best combat vehicle”, this is the most important article of the magazine. After an introduction, the article reviews, each time for Germany, USA, USSR and UK and sometimes for other countries, the different vehicles: light tanks, medium tanks, tank hunters, armored tank hunters, assault guns that were heavy tank hunters, heavy tanks, medium assault guns. Stunning!!!

(34 pages, lots of photos, drawings and data sheets)

• Wehrmacht 1946, Umberwaffnung der Panzer: in November 1944 Krupp AG begun to work on the amelioration of armament of the most important German tanks. The article depicts the projects that could have been applied and illustrates how the Panzer of 1946 could have been like.

(14 pages, 3 photos, lots of b/w and color drawings)

• Mark VIII Tank: the international tank. After having realized in 1916 that their technology was from far below the level of the one of other belligerants, the USA tried to develop a better armament and of course: tanks! With the help of France and UK, the USA developed the Mark VIII.

(8 pages, 9 photos, 1 technical data, 1x4view drawing, 1×4 view b/w drawing, 1 “inside view”)

• Panzer IV mit 7,5cm KWK L70 Panther Schmalturm: this tank was an attempt to upgrade the Panzer IV with a turret destined to the Panther

(3 pages, 1×4 view b/w drawing, 1 color drawing)

• The last article presents some new DVD releases : “Lebanon”, “Saint and Soldiers” and “Patrol”.

TnT magazine is undoubtfully a must for anyone being interested by armored vehicles and combat vehicles in general…

Daniel Clamot

• First article: VBTP-MR Guarani – Un nouveau blindé au pays de la Samba (VBPT-MR Guarani – A new AFV for Samba’s country) presents the new AFV that will become the standard AFV for Brasilian armed forces EE-11 Urutu (6×6 transport vehicle) but also the EE-9 Cascavel  (reconnaissance vehicle). More than 2000 Guarani’s will be ordered by Brasil; first ones are in delivery phase. Argentina ordered also for 14, and other countries seem to have some interest for the Guarani (Chile, Colombia, Ecuador). (4 pages, 8 photos, 2 technical drawings)
• Graffiti of war: Blindés américains au Vietnam (American AFV’s in Vietnam): it’s an old tradition to paint some names or sentences on aircrafts, but also on AFV’s! That article describes some names and sentences indicated on AFV (M113, M51, M48, M109) by American soldiers. Some of them are war sentences; others are more “peaceful” or have some anti-military connotations… Instructive! (6 pages, only one photo but no less than 18 profiles)
• Flakpanzer IV (3,7cm Flak 43) Möblewagen:  during WWII and after the victorious beginning of the war, Germans face the rise of allied airforces (Allied from West but also Soviets) and the Luftwaffe was no more able to protect ground troops, being also involved in the protection of factories that were bombarded. So the need of a Flakpanzer was big. As always for their material during WWII, Germans tried some bad solutions and lost time before to prepare a good flak vehicle… That came too late to be very useful… (16 pages, 13 photos, 2 technical datas, 5 pages of drawings, 4 profiles)
• Autotransporto Blindato Fiat 665NM: At the beginning of the war, Italian army owned essentially hippotracted vehicles for their troop transport. First battles against France, but essentially against British troops in North Africa revealed the urgent need of a motorized transport vehicle. Some existing vehicles were transformed, but in 1942 Fiat is asked for the building of a specialized transport vehicle. 110 Fiat 665NM were constructed but too late for Africa: they served in ItalY… (2 pages, 1 photo, 2 drawings)
• ZiS-30: le Marder soviétique (the Soviet Marder) : on 22th of june 1941, the Germans encountered for the first time the very effective Zis-2 57mm gun that destroyed no less than 15 Panzers in a few time. Effectiveness of that gun was so great that Soviet Union decided to place it on a mobile platform. The possibility to place it on truck was rapidly abandoned and the gun was placed on a transport tankette, the T-20 “Komsomolet “. 101 were built and used, amongst other things, to protect Moscow. (5 pages,  4 photos, drawings, technical drawings, technical datas)
• Le Panther face au Sherman (Panther versus Sherman): the M4 Sherman was used in combat for the first time in North of Africa, 1942; the Panzer V Panther appeared at Kursk, in july 1943. That’s only one year later that those two tanks will meet in a big engagement: the Normandy. The Panther take advantage on the Sherman but tactical bombardments from Allied air forces destroyed the Panthers. Second big struggle rised during the “Wacht Am Rhein” operation and this time even if that can sound strange, the Sherman was the winner. How was that possible? It’s the subject of a long analysis made in that article… (24 pages, 29 photos,  5 pages of drawings)
• Buffalo: mine protected clearance vehicle: l’arme anti-terreur (the anti-terror weapon): anti-tank and anti-personal mines are a big menace in Afghanistan and Irak, so the United States Marines acquired specialized vehicles that can resist to mines and that can neutralize them. So is the Buffalo, also used by the French army. (8 pages, 12 photos, technical drawings)
• Etude opérationnelle du Jagdpanzer 38(T) : le Hetzer, un si mauvais chasseur de char? (Operational study of the Jagdpanzer 38(T) : the Hetzer, so bas as tank hunter ?) : the Hetzer was previously analyzed in an article in TnT#3 (august-september 2007). It was a technical analysis; this time the article explains why a so rustic tank hunter was developed. (6 pages, 8 photos, drawings)
• Cruiser Tank Mk.VI Crusader MK.II (A15) versus Panzer III Ausf. L: analysis and comparison of those tanks on tne specific theatre of operations of North Afrika. (no photos but drawings, s-datas and technical drawings)

The long article about the Panther facing the Sherman is of course the focus of TnT#45; but all the other articles are of big interest.

Warmly recommended. Even if you don’t read French, illustrations, technical drawings and photos are a must. Click here!!

Daniel Clamot

What is different this time is that the principal article is consacred to the Panzers of the Afrika Korps. Longly detailed, it takes so many pages that the usual comparative article is not present (but will be back in the #42!)

The French-speaking magazine contents what follows:

1.       30 Ton vehicle “Terrier” (actuality)

2.       The rocked launcher vehicles of WWII : very interesting article about the rocket launchers, including of course Stalin’s orgues but also other vehicles like the Calliope, etc.

3.       EntwicklungsFahrzeug E-10: Born to be a Hunter! Depicts the German project of a perfect hunter (tank killer) that would have be produced since the end of 1945. Intriguing vehicle, well born, it would have been a terrible adversarie for all the allied tanks.

4.       Afrika Korps Panzers in fight: that long article of no less than 22 pages is subdivised into chapters:

·         Problems of the Italian allied

·         Arrival of the Deutsches Afrika Korps

·         The Kurz guns era

·         The coming of the “long guns”

·         Tiger, the last joker of the DAK

That long article is absolutely complete and historically gives many informations.

5.       The British Artillery Tractors

6.       Lethal weapon: 8,8cm Pak 43

7.       The now unavoidable article about the “flying tanks”: OH-58D Kiowa helicopter

8.       And, last but not least, “Camo”; interesting and intruiging article about the chaos of the Libanese Civil War.

As usual, TnT is full of photos (many were unknown from me) and drawings.

A must! Thanks to Caractere for sample publication!

Daniel Clamot

However, when the German upper command decided to change the use of the Stuka for bombing of British airfields and radar installations the losses were rising, although the RAF always over claimed their kills. In this book the exact losses on Ju-87’s are given: the Luftwaffe lost over the whole period  101 machines while the RAF had claimed 171 confirmed kills and another 63 unconfirmed. From the book it is very evident the tail gunner of the Ju-87 was in a very vulnerable place when under attack from British fighters and some even claimed they were only ‘human body armour’ for the pilot. It was also evident that during the actual dive attack RAF fighters could not do anything at all. They had to attack before the dive was started, or when the dive bombing was completed and the plane had recovered from its dive.

The author also busts the myth that the Stuka was withdrawn from action over the UK because of its high losses. The truth is that when the invasion of the UK was canceled by Hitler the Stuka was simply no longer needed.

The author describes very vividly the Stuka battles fought over the period June 1940 – November 1940 in 13 separate chapters followed by a number of appendixes including loss tables on both sides. In this book we can read the testimonies of both Stuka pilots, RAF pilots and people on the ground that have eye witnessed the attacks. The book is the result of years of intensive research and since every Stuka attack on England is described it must be regarded as a mayor reference work fully worth its price of £ 20.-.

Book rating: excellent; highly recommended

Book details:
Title:                Stuka Attack! The dive bombing assault on England during the Battle of Britain.
Author:            Andy Saunders
Book type:      hardcover, 18 x 25.5 cm, 224 pages with 146 B & W photographs
ISBN:              978-1-908117-35-9
Publisher:        Grub Street Publishing, 4 Rainham Close, London SW11 6SS, UK
Price:               £ 20 excluding p & p
Contact:          www.grubstreet.co.uk

With special thanks to Grub Street Publishing for providing a free review copy.

Nico Braas