LELA PRESSE

American Essex-Class Aircraft Carriers – Volume II
  • New
In stock
Navires & Histoire du Monde No. 44 The American Essex-class aircraft carriers served from 1943 to 1991, from the second part of the Pacific War to the end of the Cold War. Twenty-four vessels were actually commissioned. No two ships are exactly alike, owing to different shipyards, evolving detection equipment, varying degrees of modernization, repairs...
American Essex-Class Aircraft Carriers – Volume I
  • New
In stock
Navires & Histoire du Monde Collection N°43 The American Essex-class aircraft carriers served from 1943 to 1991, from the second half of the Pacific War to the end of the Cold War. Twenty-four vessels were actually commissioned. No two ships are exactly alike, owing to different shipyards, evolving detection equipment, varying degrees of modernisation,...
FRENCH AIR FORCE HELICOPTERS - From 1950 to the Present Day
In stock
Aviation History Collection No. 49 French Air Force helicopters first appeared in 1950 to meet operational needs in Indochina and Algeria at war, where their crews and mechanics wrote the first pages of their glory. Redeployed to metropolitan France in the early 1960s, they were also stationed overseas and deployed on external operations in Africa, the...
The MORANE SAULNIER 406 in the Armée de l'Air, the...
In stock
Histoire de l'Aviation No. 51 Since 1998 and the first work on the Morane 406 published by Lela Presse, numerous discoveries have made a new publication essential. Proof of this lies in the sheer volume of this study, which required splitting it into two tomes even though it is devoted solely to the aircraft in French markings. The list of contributors...
LES AVIONS MARCEL BLOCH - Volume 3: Fighters and Other...
Out of stock
Marcel Bloch took considerable time before deciding to propose a fighter aircraft. His first attempt was a complete failure — the aircraft could not even take off. Yet the ideas he had instilled in that project would prompt the French government to take notice and, after numerous improvements, industry would make it one of the three principal defenders of...
FIRST-CLASS SUBMARINES – The Requin and Redoutable...
In stock
This work is devoted to the 40 first-class submarines built for the Marine Nationale between 1922 and 1939. They are divided into two types: the 1,100-tonne Requin class of the 1922 and 1923 programmes, and the Redoutable and Pascal classes of the 1924 to 1930 programmes. The second-class submarines and minelayers are covered in another volume in the same...
THE MORANE SAULNIER 406 in the Armée de l'Air, the... THE MORANE SAULNIER 406 in the Armée de l'Air, the... 2
In stock
Since 1998 and the first work on the Morane 406 published by Lela Presse, numerous discoveries have made a new publication indispensable. The sheer volume of this study — which has necessitated its division into two parts while covering only the aircraft in French markings — is proof of this. The list of contributors also reflects the enthusiasm the...
SNCASO 4050 VAUTOUR
Out of stock
Bookshop

SNCASO 4050 VAUTOUR

L20250071
€65.40
Published in 1996 and prefaced by General of the Air Corps Claude Grigault, former commander of the 92nd Bombardment Brigade at Cognac, the former Chief of Staff of the Armée de l'Air particularly highlighted at the time «the author's competence and knowledge of his milieu, the assembly of documentation of a quality and scope that commands admiration,...
THE MARCEL BLOCH AIRCRAFT - Volume 2: Entry into War
In stock
After an initial attempt that went largely unnoticed, Marcel Bloch was able to establish himself as an aviation industrialist thanks to the success of a second generation of aircraft — the MB 81, MB 120 and MB 200. He then set his teams a sweeping challenge, giving rise to a third generation that included the MB 130, MB 131, MB 210 and MB 220 models,...
Die Kampfgeschwader 54. The Death's Head Wing - Volume II
Out of stock
Kampfgeschwader 54, the Totenkopfgeschwader, is a unit well known to enthusiasts of the air war of the Second World War owing to its death's head insignia inherited from the hussar squadrons. Above all, KG 54 distinguished itself as one of the few Luftwaffe wings to have fought from the first to the last day of the conflict — even if under various forms...
Kampfgeschwader 54: The Death's Head Wing – Volume 1
Out of stock
The Kampfgeschwader 54, the Totenkopfgeschwader, is a unit well known to enthusiasts of the air war of the Second World War on account of its death's head insignia inherited from hussar squadrons. But above all, KG 54 distinguished itself as one of the few Luftwaffe wings to have fought from the first to the last day of the conflict — even if under...
2nd Class Submarines and Minelayers of the French Navy... 2nd Class Submarines and Minelayers of the French Navy... 2
In stock
This work is primarily devoted to the 34 2nd class submarines and the six minelayers (Saphir type) produced under the naval construction programmes of 1922 to 1936. The post-1945 period of the 2nd class Aurore-type submarines — the first of which was only just completed in June 1940 — is briefly mentioned. The contemporary 1st class submarines (Requin and...
MARCEL BLOCH AIRCRAFT - Volume 1: Early Successes MARCEL BLOCH AIRCRAFT - Volume 1: Early Successes 2
In stock
Among all the great French aircraft manufacturers, Marcel Bloch is one of the least well known, as are his aircraft. It is time to fill an important gap and present his productions, which left their mark from the 1930s through to the Second World War. How, by applying a policy of small steps and always building on his previous experience — good and bad...
TRANSMISSIONS 1900–1940. History of Equipment, vol. 01
Out of stock
This book grew out of a technical inventory compiled by the author, covering French military radio equipment from its origins to 1940. It focuses on the most representative sets, complementing their descriptions with a wealth of period photographs — often previously unpublished — or photographs of surviving examples that are the pride of collectors and...
From the Siebel to the Martinet - 27 Years Under Our...
In stock
This volume traces the history of the NC 700, 701 and 702 "Martinet" aircraft under French roundels, as well as that of the Siebel 204 D aircraft built in France from which they derived. Although more than 350 aircraft of this type served in the French air forces until the mid-1960s, the "Martinet" are often overlooked in accounts devoted to operational...
Fighter Squadron 3/3 Ardennes 1943 – 2023
In stock
€46.45
The Fighter Squadron Ardennes holds a unique place in the order of battle of the Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace. In 2023, it celebrated its 80th anniversary. We felt it was the right moment to mark this occasion by retracing its history. The unit was disbanded and re-established on several occasions. Only the Escadrille BR 44, attached to the squadron at a...
FRENCH MILITARY AVIATION 1919–1934. Its units, its men,...
In stock
At the end of the Great War, the French Military Aviation was reorganised into aviation regiments. It was the heir to the glorious battle-forged legacy of the escadrilles that had fought for four years above the trenches. Some of its regiments would in turn face the ordeal of aerial operations, in the Levant and in Morocco. The air arm, gradually gaining...
AÉROSPATIALE GAZELLE
In stock
Bookshop

AÉROSPATIALE GAZELLE

L20230153
€61.61
With its graceful silhouette and piercing whistle, the Gazelle is a helicopter whose sight has become familiar since its first flight more than fifty-five years ago. Designed as a simple observation aircraft, it was employed far beyond that single role, becoming a genuine combat helicopter in many of the armed forces that acquired it. In the Falklands,...
THE BATTLESHIP TIRPITZ - 1939/1944
In stock
€55.92
The Tirpitz was, without a doubt, one of the most formidable warships of her generation. Of redoubtable and uncontested power, the Bismarck's sistership spent the majority of her career in the Norwegian fjords. After brief and inconclusive sorties against Allied convoys, a remarkable human adventure would unfold in the effort to neutralize Hitler's last...
THE LUFTWAFFE IN BELGIUM. VOLUME II - Escalating Combat...
Out of stock
In 1941–1942, setting aside Bomber Command's night operations, the air war ultimately had little impact on Belgium. 1943, the pivotal year of the Second World War, was nonetheless marked for that country by the growing incursions of the US 8th Air Force's heavy bombers, which until then had made little showing in Belgian airspace. From 6 April 1943, the...
V1 — Weapon of Despair
Out of stock
Bookshop

V1 — Weapon of Despair

L20220427
€60.66
This "V1 weapon of despair" is in a different league from its predecessor, which was nonetheless praised in its time by the specialist press. To state that it contains 60 new plans, 514 new photographs and 20% more text only defines in a cold and imprecise manner the sheer scale of the enrichment brought. Every chapter without exception has been reworked...
The Luftwaffe in Belgium, Volume 1: Conquest and...
Out of stock
From September 1939 and throughout the "Phoney War," the airspace of neutral Belgium was criss-crossed by the aircraft of the belligerents, who exploited the weakness of the Belgian Aéronautique Militaire. German reconnaissance aircraft were thus able to survey the future invasion routes. On 10 May 1940, the Wehrmacht entered the country and, until the...
THE COASTAL ESCORT VESSELS
In stock
Bookshop

THE COASTAL ESCORT VESSELS

L20220344
€60.66
With a maximum displacement of under 400 tonnes, coastal escort vessels rank among the smallest combat units a navy can field. The French Navy could not do without them. From 1944, the French Navy was glad to recover around thirty American-built PCs in its ranks, which would contribute to the return of French naval forces to the seas. For its operations...
From the Fieseler Fi 156 to the Morane-Saulnier MS 500....
Out of stock
A spotter for our soldiers in 1940, an artillery observation aircraft or casualty evacuation platform in Indochina and North Africa, then a glider tug in the 1960s, the Storch is now a star of air shows. We will discover together its history, its many adaptations and its exploits. The present work was carried out drawing on a large quantity of both public...
The TRIPARTITE Minehunters
In stock
Bookshop

The TRIPARTITE Minehunters

L20210162
€36.02
The Tripartite Minehunters (CMT) have been in service since 1984. The result of a successful cooperation between France, the Netherlands and Belgium, forty vessels were built, of which thirteen were commissioned by the French Navy. Mine hunting has replaced sweeping with a meticulous exploration of the seabed combining sonar and mine-clearance divers,...
The Kampfgeschwader 6
Out of stock
Bookshop

The Kampfgeschwader 6

L20210125
€45.50
The 6th Bomber Wing of the Luftwaffe remains a unit still relatively little known, owing to its comparatively brief existence. It was indeed formed with great difficulty following an order of October 1941, having been conceived to support KG 2 in its sporadic harassment operations against Great Britain. Its build-up was slow and laborious due to a lack of...
THE JUNKERS JU-52 AND AAC.1 TOUCAN UNDER OUR ROUNDELS
In stock
A German engineer, Hugo Junkers was the pioneer of all-metal aircraft construction and, from 1914 onwards, developed several models dedicated to air transport. As the culmination of this line of aircraft, the prototype of the Junkers 52, designed in 1930 at the request of the national carrier Lufthansa, was initially a single-engine aircraft; the Ju 52,...
THE "Sample" BATTLESHIPS. Volume 02: Jauréguiberry,...
In stock
In the first volume of this work, our study covered the genesis of the French armoured fleet in the period between the war of 1870 and the Fashoda Crisis on the one hand, and on the other the history of the first three battleships of this so-called "sample" fleet: the Brennus, Carnot and Charles Martel. With this second volume, we study the last three...
"Magister dixit". The History of the Fouga and its...
In stock
If you ask the question: name an aircraft of the Patrouille de France, the answer will be... the Fouga! Built in over 900 examples (plus around thirty for its cousin the Zéphyr), this iconic aircraft trained thousands of military pilots around the world and across several generations. It also saw action in various local conflicts on almost every...
All French Aircraft Carriers from 1912 to the Present Day. All French Aircraft Carriers from 1912 to the Present Day. 2
In stock
Since 1912, aircraft carriers have been in service with the French Navy. The seaplane tenders of the First World War were followed in 1928 by the first aircraft carrier, le Béarn. Obsolete, she was not committed to combat during the Second World War, but the personnel she had trained enabled the reconstitution in 1945 of an embarked aviation arm that...
The Kriegsmarine Submarines 1935-1945. Dönitz's "Grey...
In stock
Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister during the Second World War, declared: "The only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the U-boat peril." Across these two volumes on the U-Boote, the author covers the entirety of the German submarines, describing their specifications, commands, victories and losses, whether during the war or...
Kriegsmarine Submarines 1935-1945. Dönitz's "Grey Wolves"...
In stock
Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister during the Second World War, declared: "The only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the U-boat peril." In these two volumes on the U-Boote, the author covers all German submarines in detail, describing their specifications, commands, victories and losses, both during the war and after the end...
French Vampire and Mistral - Volume 2
Out of stock
€55.92
Although the Vampire was designed and used as a fighter by the Armée de l'Air, this role was not to remain its exclusive domain for long. The arrival of American aircraft under the MDAP framework, and the progressive development of Marcel Dassault's fighters, overshadowed it — not least because they were more modern and simply better. A use had...
Jagdgeschwader 54: The Green Heart Eagles of the...
Out of stock
Second volume of the history of the Jagdgeschwader 54. As the fate of the war in the East was being decided in early 1943, the Green Heart wing saw its III. Gruppe withdrawn from the sector to combat Allied raids on the Western Front: from duels over the English Channel to the sacrifice of Bodenplatte and the battles of the Normandy Landings.
THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL NAVY from 1870 to its fall.
In stock
French works on the Russian Imperial Navy are rare. The same may be said of English and American publications. Yet the Russian Imperial Navy was an exceptional force, torn as it was between three principal theatres: the Baltic, the Pacific and the Black Sea, of which only the first two could be linked (at great difficulty), the Black Sea remaining...
VAMPIRE and French MISTRAL. Volume 01
Out of stock
€55.92
During the war, France had remained on the sidelines of the technological revolution represented by jet propulsion. A considerable industrial and financial effort would make it possible to close this gap within a few years.
The SA 330 PUMA
Out of stock
Bookshop

The SA 330 PUMA

L20200045
€52.13
OUT OF STOCK Designed to meet the requirements of the ALAT (the Aviation Légère de l'Armée de Terre, in search of a new tactical transport helicopter in the aftermath of the Algerian War), the Puma was a great success in the military sphere, both in France and for export, as well as on the civilian market.
The C-47s under our Roundels.
In stock
Bookshop

C-47s Under Our Roundels

L20200011
€55.92
In 1935, at the time of the prototype's first flight, who could have imagined the incredible success of the Douglas DC-3!
III./Zerstörergeschwader 26 – 1939/1944
Out of stock
It may seem unusual, in the context of an air unit history, to focus on a single gruppe rather than its parent geschwader. Yet III./ZG 26, which entered the Second World War flying the Bf 109, enjoyed a remarkably independent operational career.
THE FLAMANT AND ITS VARIANTS
Out of stock
Bookshop

THE FLAMANT AND ITS VARIANTS

L20190190
€55.92
For most people, the manufacturer Dassault is associated with the Mystère and Mirage. Yet it was with a twin-engine piston aircraft that Marcel Bloch, who had become Dassault, returned to the aeronautical spotlight in the late 1940s. 
GC III/3 in 1939-1940. Condors and Pirates in Combat. GC III/3 in 1939-1940. Condors and Pirates in Combat. 2
Delivery 10/15 days
Created in the spring of 1939, Groupe de chasse III/3 had barely had time to work up before the declaration of war forced it to leave Burgundy and move to its forward operating base.
Les Aéroplanes Voisins Les Aéroplanes Voisins 2
Out of stock
Bookshop

The VOISIN Aeroplanes

L20180212
€36.97
OUT OF PRINT In 1908 Voisin and, in America, the Wrights were the only ones building machines that truly flew.
The La Fayette-Class Stealth Frigates The La Fayette-Class Stealth Frigates 2
Out of stock
€23.70
OUT OF PRINT The five La Fayette-class frigates are the first stealth warships. Their appearance in the mid-1990s marked the beginning of a new trend in naval aesthetics. These five vessels, based in Toulon, are well suited to crisis situations and are widely used for surveillance in troubled areas.
THE FOCKE-WULF 200 CONDOR
Delivery in 8 to 10 days
Bookshop

THE FOCKE-WULF 200 CONDOR

L20180130
€52.13
Despite its distinctive appearance, well known to World War II aviation enthusiasts, the Fw 200 — a militarised civilian transport aircraft — remains somewhat mysterious.
THE MORANE-SAULNIER MS-760 PARIS
Out of stock
€52.13
The Morane-Saulnier 760 Paris was the first four-seat jet aircraft designed for military liaison, training and executive transport duties.
Lehrgeschwader 1, the Griffin Wing. Vol. 01 Lehrgeschwader 1, the Griffin Wing. Vol. 01 2
In stock
Lehrgeschwader 1, or LG 1, an experimental bomber wing, was one of the first units stood up when the German military air arm was created shortly after 1933.
The YAMATO-CLASS BATTLESHIPS The YAMATO-CLASS BATTLESHIPS 2
Out of stock
Bookshop

THE YAMATO-CLASS BATTLESHIPS

L20180039
€46.45
The battleships of the Yamato class have undeniably left their mark on the history of world naval construction. Their displacement and dimensions made them truly extraordinary vessels.
THE JUNKERS Ju 52, FROM THE LUFTHANSA TO THE LUFTWAFFE.
In stock
This book, comprising more than 300 photographs that are virtually all previously unpublished, colour profiles as well as numerous tables and copies of period documents, traces the career of the Junkers 52 from its beginnings as an airliner through to its use as a military aircraft.
The HARDI-Class Squadron Torpedo Boats - 1938-1943
  • Sale!
Delivery within a week
This volume offers a study of the construction and history of the last 1,772-tW Squadron Torpedo Boats of the LE HARDI class, laid down for the French Navy shortly before the war. The book comprises 104 A4-format pages, over a hundred illustrations and numerous photographs.
SAMURAI on Aircraft Carrier – Vol. 02
Delivery within a week
€55.92
Published in 2006 and quickly out of print, the first edition of "Samouraï sur porte-avions" deserved to be revisited. The author therefore presents a second edition that is substantially expanded and considerably richer. The text has indeed been greatly enriched through the contribution and study of numerous documents, both Japanese and American, that...
SAMURAI on Aircraft Carrier – Vol. 01
Delivery within a week
€52.13
Published in 2006 and quickly out of print, the first edition of "Samouraï sur porte-avions" deserved to be revisited. The author now presents a substantially expanded and greatly enriched second edition. The text has indeed been considerably supplemented by the contribution and study of numerous documents — both Japanese and American — that were not...
BREGUET AIRCRAFT - VOLUME 2 - The Monoplane Era
Out of stock
With chief engineer Vullierme having been replaced by Georges Ricard (he was redeployed to the helicopter subsidiary), Louis Breguet allowed himself to be swept along by modernity and after 1933 had monoplane bomber, transport and ground-attack types developed, while initially continuing with the Bizerte biplane flying boats.
BREGUET AIRCRAFT - VOLUME 1 - The Biplane Era
In stock
€55.92
An engineer to his very core, Louis Breguet turned away after 1905 from electrical engineering to throw himself into aeronautics. He first experimented with rotary-wing designs, then focused on the biplane configuration with moderate success.
Aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Army.
Out of stock
€113.74
With the thoroughness for which he is known, the author reviews all the aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service, from its beginnings through to the defeat of 1945.
The BISMARCK The BISMARCK 2
Out of stock
Bookshop

The Battleship BISMARCK

L20180064
€52.13
The Bismarck remains without question one of the most famous battleships of its era. Some years ago, Philippe Caresse offered us a superb study of this powerful vessel, which quickly sold out.
Showing 1-68 of 68 item(s)

Éditions LELA PRESSE are based in the Haute-Vienne. This publishing house specialises in books and magazines dedicated to the history of aviation and the military navy.

Purchase a gift voucher