Operation_Vittles

Operation Vittles In June 1948 Soviets authorities halted all entrances or exits to the western-controlled section of Berlin by land and by water. A 20 mile-wide air corridor across the Russian zone of Germany was the only remaining access route into the city. For the next eleven months the Western Allies supplied West Berliners with the necessities of life. The unofficial name given to the operation was Operation Vittles and it began on June 26. 4,500 tons of food, coal, and other material needed for daily maintainence of a minimum level of existence was fulfilled with only 80 tons carried by USAF C-47s on June 26. However, this force was quickly increased by the aid of U.S. Navy and Royal Air Force cargo aircraft. On October 15, 1948 a unified command known as the Combined Airlift Task Force under Maj. Gen. William H. Tunner, USAF was created to promote increased safety and cooperation between the separate U.S. and British airlift efforts. Three SAC bomb groups were sent to Europe placing Soviet targets within B-29 range. Three airfields were used within airlift, berlin, within, tons, sector, landing, june, force, british, 1948, west, water, usaf, until, under, three, tempelhof, soviets, september, route, rate, order, operation, land, increased, however, germany, c-47s, air, 26, zone, william, western-controlled, western, vittles, view