http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/ar...-berlin-airlift.aspx

good article on the anniversary of an extraordinary event. Kudos to the planning and courage of the US and Brits any many others in pulling this off...

Good article.

"Planes touched down every three minutes. The schedule was so tight that each pilot had just one chance to touch down."

"Surviving a normally harsh German winter, the airlift carried over two million tons of supplies in 270,000 flights."

That is a lot of air time for those who flew these missions.

French wanted to leave berliners starve to death but luckily US nad UK showed some humanity and decided otherwise.

This wise and humane decision to succor a defeated enemy is one of the great achievements of mankind. It's an outstanding example, put into practice, of one of the tenets of Churchill's "Moral of the Work", which prefaced his monumental WWII memoirs:

"In war, resolution; in defeat, defiance; in victory, magnanimity"

Berlin Airlift Memorial.

Unfortunately Berlin is going to shut down Templehof Airport which was used for a lot of the landings and where that monument is.


It's a cool looking airport too. I hope they don't tear it down.

The Germans called these planes "Rosinenbomber" (raisin bombers).

quote:

Originally posted by Ba5tard5word:
Unfortunately Berlin is going to shut down Templehof Airport which was used for a lot of the landings and where that monument is.


It's a cool looking airport too. I hope they don't tear it down.

No, the building will be preserved. After all it was the worlds first "real" airport setting standarts for decades to come. It's also one of the largest buiildings on this planet after the Pentagon and another one I can't remember.

The Berlin airlift was one of the great episodes in human history. The airlift won the trust of the germans in the americans for decades. It was maervelous, beautifully organized and helping "millions" of ppl to survive and stay out of communist slavery. The US fed of that reputation for a very long time. To this very day the americans responsible back then, especially General Clay, have a very special place in german hearts.

I liked the candy hung from small parachutes tossed out of the a/c for the kids. (in a TV documentary)

quote:

Originally posted by Ollivaan:
French wanted to leave berliners starve to death but luckily US nad UK showed some humanity and decided otherwise.

While France was not as active as UK & USA, they did not object to the airlift.
True, the initial official position was to consider the city as a lost cause (some officials in the US & UK had the same thoughts, thankfully, others were able to persuade them) and they didn't bring support

War in Indochina + the on going reconstruction of France (with rationning still being applied there) were a strain. Plus, the old hatred vs Germans among some etc...

Then French units participated, French bases were used; French engineers built a new one under 90 days (Lake Tegel)and they even blew up a soviet controlled radio tower that lay in the path of planes to this airfield....I guess the Soviets were not that pleased

That airfield became Berlin Tegel International airport