ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Espionage, Intelligence, and Security Volume ...

Berlin AirliftBerlin children cheer as United States armed forces airlift supplies toWest Berlin in 1948 after the Communists sealed off the borders.©BETTMANN/CORBIS.who intended to establish a democratic government andmarket economy, aid Germany in overcoming the legacyof the Nazis, and relinquish control of their sectors. Inorder to gain full control of Berlin, Soviet and East Germanforces acted on government decrees to occupy and shutdownessential transport services, effectively laying WestBerlin under siege.On June 15, 1948, the Soviets declared the Autobahnclosed, and established roadblocks to prevent Berlinersfrom fleeing the city. Within a week, all traffic between thevarious sectors of the city was halted. On Jun 21, riverbarge traffic was outlawed. Two days later, all railroadsinto and out of West Berlin were closed. Berliners werethen at the mercy of the Soviet government to providefood and supplies. On June 24, 1948, the Soviets announcedthat they would not supply food to residentsoutside of the Soviet controlled sector. With all othermeans of transport cut-off, Britain and the United States,with the help of France, organized a massive airlift to feedand supply the sectors of West Berlin under their control.Military airlift operations. Airlift operations began immediately.On June 26, two days after the Soviet announcementof the blockade, the United States Air Force airliftedthe first cargo into Berlin. The American nicknamed theeffort, “Operation Vittles,” while British pilots dubbed theoperation “Plain Fare.” In July 1948, the operation wasrenamed the Combined Airlift Taskforce.In the first months of the operation, the airlift gainedinternational fame for delivering food and coal to blockadedBerliners. C-54 pilot, Lt. Gail Halverson added bundlesof gum and candy to his payload for the crowds ofchildren he noticed near the airfield. Halverson’s “candybombs” gained renown, and soon donations of candy andgum flooded his mailbox. In anticipation of winter, clothingdonations were also collected from U.S. citizens andbusinesses for transport to Berlin. Red Cross medicalsupplies were shipped in the airlift, and passengers werepermitted to travel between West Germany and Berlin ona limited basis.Airlift operations were conducted daily, often in inclementweather. Squadrons of American C-54s and BritishDakotas, Yorks, Sunderland “Flying Boats,” and Hastingsaircraft delivered tons of goods per day to WestBerlin. The sorties flew in tight patterns, landing sometimesas frequently as four planes a minute into one ofthree Berlin airfields. At the height of the airlift, as preparatoryefforts for the winter of 1949 were underway, Britishforces drafted commercial airliners into service. The maximumeffort launched by the Combined Airlift Task Forceoccurred on April 16, 1949. Known as the “Easter Parade,”the airlift delivered 12,940 short tons of cargo, in 1,398individual sorties, in one day.Sustained airlift operations required a large-scale militaryeffort not only in the air, but on the ground as well.Since Britain and France were still coping with post-warshortages at home, most supplies were shipped from theUnited States across the Atlantic in C-82 “Flying Boxcars.”Cargo was shipped to American, British, and French basesin West Germany for final transport to Berlin. Once inBerlin, cargo from American C-54s required hand loadingand unloading because the modified aircraft couldnot support palate loads. Sacks of flour, coal, and othergoods then were transported to locations established fordistribution.Major General William H. Tunner commanded theoperation with the assistance of a deputy officer, RAF AirCommodore, J. F. Merer. Under their direction, the airliftemployed increasingly complicated flying maneuvers andsophisticated technology to maximize the amount of cargodelivered to Berlin. The command team was primarilyconcerned with operational safety, since planes were requiredto fly at full tonnage, for long flights, in tight flyingand landing patterns. Constant revision of safety standardsand operational procedures, the instillation of sophisticatedground radar, as well as increased pilot training,aided the success of the Berlin Airlift while minimizingcasualties and accidents.The Soviets made no effort to stop the airlift. Sovietintelligence reported regularly on airlift operations andthe condition and moral of West Berlin residents, butSoviet officials believed that the international coalitionwould fail or eventually abandon their efforts. Also, theywere afraid that military intervention to prevent the airliftmight result in another war.On May 12, 1949, the Soviets finally lifted the blockadeon Berlin. Train and auto transport was resumed intothe city, but were limited at first. West Berliners regainedtheir freedom to travel to West Germany several monthslater. Airlift operations continued through September of1949 until supplies regularly reached Berlin via train andtruck. In all, the Berlin Airlift delivered 2.4 million tons of100 Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Security