Although, the “Cold War” lasted for decades, the first major test of the Free World's will to resist Soviet aggression came in June 1948 when Soviet authorities, claiming "Technical difficulties," halted all traffic by land and by water into or out of the western-controlled section of Berlin. The only remaining access routes into the city were three 20 mile-wide air corridors across the Russian zone of Germany. Faced with the choice of abandoning the city or attempting to supply its inhabitants with the necessities of life by air, the Western Powers chose the latter course and for the next 11 months sustained the city's 2 1/2 million residents in one of the greatest feats in aviation history.
Lt. Halvorsen dropping candy during the “Berlin Airlift.”
“Operation Vittles,” as the airlift was unofficially named, began on June 26 when USAF C-47s carried 80 tons of food into Berlin, far less than the estimated 4,500 tons of food, coal, and other material needed daily to maintain a minimum level of existence. But this force was soon augmented by U.S. Navy and Royal Air Force cargo aircraft. On Oct. 15, 1948 to promote increased safety and cooperation between the separate U.S. and British airlift efforts, the Allies created a unified command, the Combined Airlift Task Force under Maj. Gen. William H. Tunner, USAF.
To underscore Allied determination to resist Soviet pressure, three SAC bomb groups were sent to Europe, placing Soviet targets well within B-29 range.
Berlin Airlift - The Story Of A Great Achievement 1949
Airlift aircraft used three airfields within Berlin: Tempelhof in the U.S. sector, Gatow in the British sector, and Tegel which was built in the French sector in only 60 days using volunteer German men and women laborers.
C-47s unloading at Tempelhof
C-47s unloading at Tempelhof, formed the nucleus of the airlift until September when the larger and faster four-engine C-54s capable of hauling ten tons had been put into service.
Airlift pilots flew under an extremely rigid system of traffic control, which required each pilot to fly an exact route at predetermined speed and altitude. If an arriving plane was unable to make a landing at Berlin on its first attempt, it had to return to its base in West Germany. Adding to the routine dangers facing airlift pilots was Soviet harassment in the form of jamming radio channels, directing searchlights at aircraft taking off at night, the "buzzing" of cargo planes by Russian fighters, and barrage balloons allowed to drift into the air corridors.
Cross-sectional view of flight into Berlin
Cross-sectional view of flight into Berlin as of September 1948. This arrangement allowed for landing at the rate of one plane every 3 minutes. Later, two levels were used with spacing that allowed for landing at the same rate. (from AU ECI course 50 pg.103)
At midnight on May 12, 1949, the Soviets reopened land and water routes into Berlin. However, the airlift continued until September 30 to build a backlog of supplies. The Allied airlift had saved Berlin from Soviet takeover and had taught valuable lessons in air traffic control, aircraft maintenance, standardized loading and unloading procedures, and other aspects of sustained mass movement of cargo by air. Cost of the effort in human lives totaled more than 65 U.S., British, and German personnel, including 31 Americans.
The “Candy Bomber”
Lt. Gail Halvorsen, the “Candy Bomber”
During the “Berlin Airlift” American C-54 pilot Lt. Gail Halvorsen flew food and supplies into Berlin during the airlift of 1948-1949. He loved children and wanted to do something special for them. He thought up an operation that he called "Little Vittles." He bought candy at local stores and dropped it with tiny parachutes that he made by hand. His Air Force buddies donated their rations of candy and gum and their handkerchiefs to make the parachutes. For those readers old enough to remember the American wartime "K" or "C" rations, they came with a small candy bar and a tiny green box containing two pieces of Chiclets chewing gum. Today, the American meals ready to eat (MRE) ration comes with a commercial candy bar.
Newspapers printed stories about this "chocolate bomber" and he began receiving packages of candy bars and handkerchiefs in the mail for "Operation Little Vittles." The American Confectioners Association joined the humanitarian operation and sent tons of candy and gum to Westover AFB where it could be forwarded for dropping to the children of Berlin at Rhine Main AFB.
Soon, all the pilots were dropping candy over the city of Berlin. By January of 1949 Lt. Halvorsen had air dropped more than 250,000 parachutes loaded with candy on for the nearly 100,000 children of Berlin during the Russian blockade. Due to continuing bad publicity and their inability to starve the people of Berlin, the Soviets ended their blockade in May 1949.
Candy Bomber honored at Travis AFB 2004 Tattoo
Candy Bomber honored at Travis AFB 2004 Tattoo Retired Col. Gail S. Halvorsen and Col. Lyn Sherlock (U.S. Air Force photo/Ed Drohan)
The Berlin Airlift is valued by today’s military. It is saluted as a benchmark for humanitarian airlift. During the Tattoo held at the Travis Air Museum and the Travis Air Force Base’s flight line, Col. Lyn Sherlock, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander, joined Retired Col. Gail S. Halvorsen, also known as the "Candy Bomber," in saluting the American Flag. The flag was present to Col. Halvorsen on behalf of the Base in recognition of his achievements.
Cold War . . . “Fairfield Air Force Station”
CONUS (Continental United States) SAC (Strategic Air Command) Bases during the Cold War Map from the archives of Travis Air Museum by Donald J. MacMaster
Visitors on Travis AFB who drive along Ragsdale Street toward the South Gate often inquire about the ominous mounds of earth seen in good number to the west. Although little history of them has been recorded, these silos, once called “igloos,” were the heart of the mission of Fairfield Air Force Station (AFS) from 1953 to 1962 during the Cold War.
1950s photo of the main gate for the 3083rd Aviation Depot Group, Fairfield Air Force Station If you look closely, you can decipher the white letters of Fairfield Air Force Station against the white sky
Fairfield AFS was home for the 3083rd Aviation Depot Group, a division of the then Air Material Command, and its purpose was to support the Strategic Air Command Wing, located a short distance away along the Travis flight line, with nuclear weapons for its B-52s.
Secrecy and security were the primary characteristics of the Station, which covered 512 acres. The main work section encompassed a broad area along the Station’s southern border and was known as the “Q” area. The “Q” was surrounded by four chain-linked fences topped by a crown of barbed wire, one of which was electrified, and a perimeter road. I recall that sometimes owls or a fox would make contact with the electrified fence. They were instantly killed and this would cause the fence to short out. One night four migrant workers traveling north and attracted by our lights managed to make their way across a section of the “hot” fence which was out of commission. The intruders were discovered by a patrol along the perimeter road and their presence proved a real concern. Security was the responsibility of the 3083rd Air Police Squadron which, in addition to its main gate operation, pass and identification services and general patrol, provided an elite, heavily armed and mobile combat team trained specifically for the protection of the “Q” in three shifts on a continual basis. This team also provided security for the transfer of weapons from the storage igloos to the flight line, a responsibility that often occurred during the cover of night. Along with the storage igloos, some of the “Q”s fencing can still be seen, as can a number of its buildings, one of which served as the main facility for the assembly of nuclear weapons.
Although the Station’s gymnasium, mess hall and a few other buildings remain, the Base Headquarters and the barracks have been removed.
Fairfield AFS was eventually overtaken by technology. As the Cold War continued, long-range missiles became SAC’s chief method of delivering nuclear weapons and thus the need for Fairfield AFS as a storage and distribution facility was diminished. When it closed in 1962, its land reverted to Travis AFB. See the article on page 5 of the Travis Air Force Newsletter.
C-135B . . . “Travis Crew Sets Airlift Records”
Record breaking crew L to R: Maj. David Craw, Capt. Max Richardson, SMSgt. Patrick Murtha and TSgt. Robert Sutton Photo is from the archives of the Jimmy Doolittle Air & Space Museum
During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union competed for many things, including aviation records. After World War II, the US had become the leader in aviation achievements, but the USSR soon began to challenge America’s position. By 1962, as the space race was getting underway, the US held 115 records while the USSR held 105.
Because the USSR appeared to be closing the “gap,” the Department of the Air Force sought ways to break records held by that country. Among them were several altitude records with a payload of more than 5,000 kilograms and a number of closed circuit speed records with a payload of more than 5,000 kilograms. In order to set new marks, an aircraft had to exceed altitude records by three per cent and speed and distance records by one percent.
The Military Air Transport Service (MATS), a predecessor of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), stepped forward to challenge the Soviet records. MATS believed the C-135B in its inventory could lift 30,000 kilograms to 44,500 feet and could set speed records while lifting the same weight over a 2,000-kilometer closed circuit course. If successful, these two achievements would return to the US seven records held by the USSR and establish three new ones. MATS proposed to attempt these records with two flights with the same aircraft on the same day. With the approval of the Air Force in January 1962, Operation SWIFTLIFT was born. The rest of this story, written by Travis Air Museum curator Gary Leiser, can be found of page 1 of March 2000 Travis Air Force News.
