Operation Vittles | Aviation History Month 2024

Operation Vittles was the U.S. military’s code name for the Berlin Airlift, a massive humanitarian and logistical effort in 1948-1949 to supply West Berlin by air after the Soviet Union imposed a blockade on all ground routes into the city. In June 1948, during the early stages of the Cold War, the Soviet Union attempted to cut off West Berlin’s access to food, fuel, and other essential supplies, hoping to pressure the Western Allies (the United States, the United Kingdom, and France) to abandon their support for West Berlin.

In response, the Allies launched the Berlin Airlift to deliver essential goods by air. American and British aircrews flew nonstop, delivering supplies such as food, coal, and medical supplies from bases in West Germany to the isolated city. The operation was one of the largest and most complex airlift operations in history, and it required careful planning, around-the-clock flying, and coordination.

At its peak, planes were landing in Berlin every 30 seconds. By the time the blockade was lifted in May 1949, more than 2.3 million tons of supplies had been flown into Berlin. The Berlin Airlift not only provided essential aid to the people of West Berlin but also became a symbol of Western resolve and unity against Soviet pressure, deepening the ideological divide that would define the Cold War.