The end of the Berlin Airlift on September 30, 1949 marked a stunning, early victory in the Cold War. The crisis grew out of a plan by the United States, Britain, and France a year earlier to create a stable currency for western Germany. The Soviets reacted angrily, wanting to control the country's post-war economy. They cut off power, rail, road and water access to West Berlin, which lay deep inside the Soviet zone. President Harry S Truman rejected his generals' advice to launch a military confrontation and instead worked with the air forces of allied nations to launch the largest humanitarian airborne operation in history. The Americans called the bold plan "Operation Vittles,” while the British dubbed it “Plainfare.” Over 15 months, more than 200,000 planes delivered about 2.3 million tons of supplies to the beleaguered city, which convinced the Soviets to end their blockade.
The Berlin Airlift 70 Years On
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Tempelhof Airport in West Berlin during operations on July 24, 1948. The facility was located in the city center, with residential areas built right up to the hangars.
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Three American soldiers coordinate the heavy air traffic into Tempelhof on July 1, 1948.
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U.S. Air Force C-47 transports in line at Tempelhof on July 1, 1948 as their cargo of food, including milk and flour, is unloaded onto waiting army trucks.
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Youngsters stand on a bomb-damaged building near Tempelhof as a U.S. cargo plane flies overhead after delivering a load of coal on July 9, 1948. The daily food and coal needs were estimated to be a minimum of 4,500 tons per day for the city to survive the Soviet blockade. The efficient coordination of flights allowed the allies to exceed the minimum within months.