Berlin Airlift
Abstract
The Anglo-American airlift to supply Berlin when it was deprived of surface transportation in June 1948 was a dramatic undertaking. The closing of the roads, railroads, and canals into the city by Russians was a siege which, if successful, would have compelled the surrender of the German capital to Communists to prevent the starvation of the populace. The airlift broke the siege, something that had never before been accomplished by airpower. When the airlift started, no one believed that a city of over 2,000,000 people could be sustained exclusively by airborne supplies. It broke new ground in the logistics of airpower and was the first clear indication to the world that the Anglo-Americans would make a staunch stand against the spread of communism in Europe.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA241234
Entities
People
- Adbul A. Shokair
Organizations
- Air War College