The Berlin Aircraft Mission By: Taloria Baxter. What was it? The Berlin aircraft mission began in 1948. This is where food and fuel was supplied to citizens.

The Berlin Aircraft Mission

By: Taloria Baxter

What was it?

• The Berlin aircraft mission began in 1948. This is where food and fuel was supplied to citizens of west Berlin when communist East Germany decided to block all land access to Berlin.

Background

• Near the final months of World War Two, Germany was invaded by its allies: The United Kingdom, The United States, its allies from the west, and the USSR from the east.

• As World War Two came closer to an end Germany was divided into four parts. Each occupied by the US, the UK, France, and the USSR. Berlin, the German capitol was also split into four parts.

Germany’s BIG Deal• The Germans were

nervous about another rebirth of an army which would again threaten peace in all of Europe. The allies however, wanted a unified West Germany keeping the country under control and self supporting.

The formation of West Germany

• A Six Power Conference was held between Britain, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, the US, and the Netherlands. This conference took place during the first half of the year in 1948 and ended amicably.

• On June 7th of that same year Western Germany was told to outline a constitution for the new Western German state. Later that month on June 20th a new currency (the Deutschmark) was introduced to Germany where the three allied countries had taken over. In response to the allies, east Germany also made its own currency (the Otsmark).

Berlin’s Blockade: Stalin Reacts

• Stalin, leading the USSR refused to accept the new changes from the Six Power Conference. Stalin felt that if he could force enough pressure on the western government, he could have a renegotiation to have a neutral unified Germany. Stalin was hoping to force the pressure on Berlin, where the western governments were dependant on supplies.

• . On April 9, 1948, Stalin ordered all American Military workforce to maintain communications equipment out of the Eastern Zone (Soviet controlled Berlin). Trains were halted on June 1st through June 10th. On June 21st, the Soviets halted a US Military Supply Train and refused its passage to Berlin. On the 22nd, they placed armed guards onboard, attached a Soviet engine and hauled it back to Western Germany. In a final move to spurn the Americans, the British, and French, all land and water access to West Berlin was cut off by the Soviets this including the electricity supply. There were to be no more supplies from the West. This occurred on June 24, 1948

• What was going to happen(who would react)? Where were the necessary supplies going to come from for the Occupation Forces? For that matter, where were the supplies for about 2.8 million Berliners going to come from?

West Reacts• Since West Berlin was isolated it could not support itself for very long without supplies from the allies. With a population of 2.8 million Berliners they only had enough food for five weeks. Ernest Bevin, the British foreign minister who noticed this situation took on a dynamic role insisting that Western Germany should be created as a state. • When the blockade began, the Soviets rejoiced, because they believed the Western powers had only one option which was to leave Berlin, but the Soviets underestimated the Western airlift suppliers. General Clay the US High Commissioner in Germany called upon General Curtis E. LeMay, commander of USAFE and asked him if he could haul supplies to Berlin. LeMay responded, "We can haul anything".

START OF THE BERLIN AIRLIFT

What To Do?• The allies options were

limited as to how they would send supplies, thus they came up three options. The first option was to send the military and force its way through Stalin’s soviet union. This idea was thought to start a definite war that the west could not win.

• The second option urged by Winston Churchill ,was to drop an atomic bomb to devastate the Soviet union before it could develop one themselves. However President Harry S. Truman did not agree with that step.

• Finally the third option was to supply West Berlin by air lifts. Truman agreeing with the third option ordered the allies to send the supplies by plane. The U.S Air Force C-47 planes began to bring supplies into Berlin on June 26th, which was called operation Vittles.

Take Off!!• Dealing with the aftermath

of World War Two, three air corridors over the USSR zone in Germany had been allotted to the allies. Stalin did not want to risk a war by shooting down an allied plane. Because of this a substantial amount of food, coal, and other supplies were delivered to Eastern Germany. These planes were highly prepared to airlift supplies, and by the end of July the planes were bringing in an average of 2000 tons of supplies each day.

NOW A VIDEO • Berlin Airlift – YouTube

Allied Negotiations• Two thousand tons of food and coal were flown to

west Germany a day which was sufficient during the summer. However, the allies believed that they needed to increase this number to 5000 tons for the upcoming winter if they wanted West Berlin to survive. With the allies worried if the Airlift would maintain through the winter, Allied ambassadors met with Joseph Stalin to discuss the situation. The United Kingdom also tried to negotiate these circumstances.

General Tunner• The blockade and the airlifts continued

through 1949.In order to portray the Soviets usefulness to the allies, General Tunner made a firm decision to make a single day tonnage record by Easter. Between noon Saturday and noon on Easter Sunday the airlifts brought in 1398 sorties, and slightly less than 13000 tons of supplies.

Life for the Berliners

• Between 1948-49 life for the Berliners was stressful and hard. In the beginning, when the Soviet union first closed the wall the stockpiles were high and would last the Berliners for months, however as time wore on stockpiles were rapidly beginning to dwindle. The airlifts had not reached its full potential yet, and starvation was near. Additionally, there was little fuel to run the remaining industries, let alone heat for the homes. As a result Berliners found themselves chopping down all of the trees in the city for fuel, learning what grasses could be eaten for food, and even rummaging through trash cans for uneaten food.

• Soviet soldiers also began raping the German’s wives and daughters.

Song BERLIN WALL

Where were you when the Berlin wall came tumbling downWhat did you feel during the demiseDid you see the memoriesforever stained with bloodof relatives whose dreams were never realized

It's a heavy price to pay for freedomIt's a heavy price to pay for peaceIt's a heavy price to pay when you have to fight for your release

Did you hear the falling stonelike shiny marching boots

Pounding on the inside of your headDid the tears of triumph slide across your facethe wall of so much hatred finally dead It's a heavy price to pay for freedomIt's a heavy price to pay for peaceIt's a heavy price to pay when you have to fight for your release

All the massacres and that concentration campsFinally the wall is coming downFaces full of wonderhope and doubtThe lines were drawn by faith and misery It's a heavy price to pay for freedomIt's a heavy price to pay for peaceIt's a heavy price to pay when you have to fight for your release

©Michael Frazier, November 21, 1996• http://michaelfrazier.net/audio/Perseverance

/BerlinWall.htm

Demolition of the Berlin Wall

• Finally after further consultations between the U.S, the British, and the French representatives at the United Nations, with the Soviets also present, an agreement was finally reached on May 2nd. On May 12th , 1949 the Soviet Union agreed to lift the blockade of Berlin.

• Shortly after midnight on May 12th, 1949 barriers of food and supplies were no longer delivered to Berlin mainly by air. They could now be delivered through road and rail.

• The crisis situation in Berlin gradually calmed down and the Berliners attempted to stabilize their everyday lives like before.

Casualties• There were a total of seventeen

American and eight British aircrafts that crashed during the operation.

• A total of 70 British and American men lost their lives during the airlifts and related operations. Of those 70 men, thirty-one of them were Americans.

BERLIN AIRCRAFT MEMORIAL

The Airlift Memorial at Rhein Main Air Base in Frankfurt Germany and there’s also a memorial on Luftbruckenplatz at Tempelhf Airport in Berlin. Each prong represents one of the 3 air corridors used during "Operation Vittles", and the names of the US and British Airmen killed in the process are inscribed on the base of each.

Works CitedFrazier, Michael. “BERLIN WALL.” Michael Frazier-Oregon Songwriter. 26

Feb. 2011. 28 April 2012. http://michaelfrazier.net/MichaelFrazierHome.htm.

Griffin, Robert. “Blockade Lifted.” Harry S. Truman Library & Museum. 24 April 2012. Truman Library Institute. 29 April 2012.http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/BERLIN_A/BLOCKADE.HTM.

Jean, Darlene. “Berlin Blockade-Berlin Aircraft.” About.com European History. 18 April 2012. The New York Times Company. 28 April 2012. http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/coldwar/p/prberlinblock.htm.

Miller, Roger. “To Save a City.” The Berlin Airlift. United States Air Force History and museums Program, 1998. 29 April 2012. http://www.spiritoffreedom.org/airlift.html.