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THE COLD WAR: The Berlin Airlift
The Allied planes roared over Berlin, flying low,
searching for their destination. Standing among the war
torn rubble of the city, German men, women, and children
looked up expectantly. For most of them, the sight and
sound of the planes brought back horrible memories. It
had been Allied planes that had carried the bombs that
had left their city in ruins. Today, however, they knew
these planes had different cargo…lifesaving cargo. They
cheered.
The Cold War
It was June 26, 1948, three years since the end of World
War II. During those three years, a new war – a cold war –
had emerged between the former Allies, and Berlin
became a prime target as the political fighting ground.
The Soviet Union was determined to expand its
Communist doctrine throughout Europe. The United
States was equally determined to stop them.
through the Soviet zone, the people of West Berlin would
freeze or starve to death.
Supplies to Berlin Halted
In late June, the Soviet Military Administration delivered
a proclamation. As of 6:00am, June 24, 1948, all rail, road,
and water traffic between Berlin and the West would be
halted, and all food stocks in the Soviet sector would be
reserved for it alone, including the milk for 6,000 babies
that came from dairies in the Russian-occupied zone.
Either the Western powers were to recognize Soviet
authority over all Berlin, or the people of West Berlin were
doomed. The more than two million people in the
Western sectors had enough coal to last for 45 days, and
food to last 36 days.
Post War agreements had dealt with the Berlin issue. It
had been agreed that Germany would be divided into four
zones of occupation with the Soviet Union, Great Britain,
the United States, and France each administering one
zone. Control of Berlin, which was located deep in the
Soviet zone of occupation, was also to be shared. By 1948,
however, it became clear that joint government of the city
was an impossible task.
Great Britain, France, and the United States envisioned
a new Germany, with a stable economy and a democratic
government. The Russians had no interest in reunifying
the government. They had already taken over five Eastern
European nations. Now they wanted Germany – all of it,
especially Berlin.
Mounting Political Tensions
As the political tensions mounted, the Russians first
refused to allow food from agricultural regions under their
control to go to the Western zones of Germany. In early
1948 they halted their delivery of coal to the Western
occupied zones of Berlin.
Although the post-war agreements had allowed for air
access to Berlin from West Germany, there had been no
written agreement allowing free access from the French,
British, and American zones of Germany to Berlin by road
or rail. The Western Allies were forced to go through
Soviet occupied land to reach their zones in Berlin. All
food, fuel, and other supplies, including six thousand tons
of coal and hundreds of tons of food, were brought into
West Berlin every day by rail and truck. The Western Allies
realized that if the Russians were to forbid them access
The next day, General Lucius D. Clay, commander of
United States forces in Europe and military governor of the
American zone in Germany, called a meeting of local
leaders in Berlin. Clay offered to try to fly in supplies. He
asked the Berliners if they were willing to endure the
inevitable hardships – and the shortages that would
certainly occur. The response was clear. “General, if
you’re asking whether the people of Berlin would rather
have hardship or Russians, the answer is hardship.”
The Airlift
On June 26, American C-47s, with 80 tons of food and
medicines, landed in Berlin. It was agreed that the United
States and Great Britain would supply the planes and the
crews. The French would supply logistical support.
“Operation Vittles” had begun.
The task seemed impossible. A minimum of 4,500 tons
of supplies each day would be needed. There were only
102 C-47s in all of Europe, and many of them were
battered from use during the war. In addition, there were
a few British planes available and two C-54s. The French
had no planes.
radar, and there were no second tries. A missed approach
meant returning to base without landing.
Mounting Pressure
By the third week, 2,300 tons of supplies a day were
flown into Berlin – a spectacular effort – but still not
enough to meet the minimum 4,500 tons needed. After
seven weeks, the Allies reached their target tonnage. The
airlift was working. By September the planes were
carrying 5,000 tons a day to the people of Berlin.
Pressure mounted on President Harry Truman to
withdraw from Berlin. Having just endured a long and
costly war, the people wanted no trouble with the
Russians. Truman responded quickly and decisively. “The
United States will stay in Berlin,” he said. “Period.”
The
British
agreed.
Ironically,
the two air
forces that
had
reduced
Berlin to
rubble
were now
agreeing to
work
together
again, this
time to keep the city alive. The Russians offered to supply
food to the people. Realizing the consequences of
accepting Soviet aid, the Berliners refused. They waited
and hoped. The Russians waited, too, not believing the
airlift could possibly succeed.
The opening days of the airlift brought hope to the
people, but frustration to those who were trying valiantly
to carry it out. There had been no time for planning, and
the problems were mounting. General Curtis LeMay,
commander of the United States Air Force in Europe,
realized that it was impossible for the airlift to succeed
unless it was more efficiently organized. He called in
General William Tunner to run the operation.
Tunner
immedia
tely
ordered
addition
al
runways
and
ordered
planes to
take off
a closely times, three-minute intervals. Traffic moved in
one direction up two outside corridors into Berlin and back
through a middle corridor. Landing approaches were by
The Russians, however, still refused to lift the blockade.
Winter was approaching, and they were certain that the
airlift could not make it through the harsh German winter.
In November and December temperatures dropped
drastically. Fog and snow severely reduced the pilots’
visibility and hindered operations on the ground. The
aircraft were covered with ice. Crews perished when their
planes went down. The Russians made it worse by
harassing the crews in the air and on the ground.
Tonnage delivered dropped by 25 percent. Furniture
was burned to heat homes. Food was scarce, but the
Berliners continued to refuse help from the Russians. The
worst of the bad weather was soon over, however, and by
mid-February, the airlift became routine.
Failure of the Blockade
On May 12, 1949, the Russians admitted defeat and
called off the blockade. By the time the last plane had
flown its mission, almost two and a half million tons of
food, coal, and medicine were delivered by air into Berlin
on 276,926 flights. The missions, however, were not
without cost. The Allies had spent 200 million dollars on
the effort; 35 United States aircraft were lost; and 75 men
lost their lives.
It was a humiliating defeat for the Russians. The
Western Allies had stood their ground and refused to
allow the Soviets to spread their Communist tentacles.
Allied ingenuity and determination had won this battle of
the Cold War.