| 1st
April 1948 |
British and American military
trains detained at Marienborn (adjacent to Helmstedt) because the
Russians were not permitted to "inspect" them. Parcel mail
from Berlin to the West refused unless accompanied by virtually
unobtainable Soviet permits. USAF begins flying military stores into
Berlin.
Soviet Yak fighters begin performing aerobatics in the air corridors
into and out of Berlin. From April onwards Western-licensed barge
skippers on the German-wide network are 'detained "Because their
papers are not in order". Barge traffic is brought to a standstill.
|
| 3rd
April 1948 |
Rail routes to Berlin-Hamburg
and Berlin-Bavaria are closed leaving only the Berlin-Helmstedt line
open. The British military freight-train service between the West and
Berlin is barred by Soviet authorities unless each individual item of
cargo has Russian clearance.
|
| 5th
April 1948 |
A BEA airliner is buzzed on
the outskirts of Berlin by a Soviet Yak fighter. Both planes crash,
killing the Russian pilot, twelve Britons and two Americans. The Soviet
Command denies responsibility and refuses to recognize evidence by all
witnesses who are not Russian.
|
|
25th
April 1948 |
New
Soviet Rules for the documentation of Rail-freight.
|
| 4/6th
June 1948 |
Twenty six rail wagons of Berlin mail for the West are seized by Russian
officials.
|
| 10th
June 1948 |
Five
coal trains for West Berlin stopped by Soviet officials because their
new-type documents were "not in order".
|
| 12th
June 1948 |
All
freight trains from the West suspended until settlement of a
dispute concerning the labelling of cars.
|
| 15th
June 1948 |
All
trains from the West forbidden to use termini in West Berlin. Road
bridge over the River Elbe closed for "repairs". The only
substitute is a barge ferry ten miles away, propelled with a pole.
|
| 18th
June 1948 |
Russians cancel all internal motor-coach licenses and suspend passenger
trains, road and mail services to and from the west.
|
| 23rd
June 1948 |
Further "technical difficulties" brought all rail traffic
between Berlin and the West to an end. Traffic on inland waterways experienced
similar treatment.
|
| 24th June 1948 |
All surface communication
with Berlin stopped.
|
| 28th June 1948 |
Operation Knicker ordered. This was the plan for the
supply of the British troops in Berlin by air. In practice a number of
Dakota aircraft carried out sorties in advance of this date.
|
| 30th June 1948 |
Operation re-named "Carter Paterson" and
extended to include the supply of the whole of the Western Sector by
air. The corresponding American operation was "Viftles".
|
| 19th July 1948 |
Operation re-named "Plainfare"
|
| 4th August 1948 |
First official day of the Civil Airlift.
|
| 12th May 1949 |
The Berlin Blockade was lifted at 00.01 hours.
|
| 16th August 1949 |
End of the Civil Airlift.
|
| 6th October 1949 |
End of the Airlift.
|
| |
Notable Statistics
|
| Between the 25th of June 1948 and the 1st of
August 1949, two million two hundred thousand occupants of West Berlin
were supplied 2,223,000 short tons of supplies in 266.600 flights. |
| |
Mileposts
|
| 18th February 1949 |
First million short tons delivered. |
| 2nd July 1949 |
Second million short tons delivered. |
| 5th August 1949 |
Two and a quarter million tons delivered to Berlin. |
| |
|
| Total Tonnage by Commodity: |
US |
British |
| Coal |
1,421,730 |
164,800 |
| Food |
296,303 |
241,713 |
|
Military Supplies |
--- |
18,239 |
|
Miscellaneous |
65,540 |
25,202 |
|
Wet Fuel |
--- |
92,282 |
| Total |
1,783,573 |
542,236 |
| |
| Total
Combined Tonnage |
2,325,809
short tons
|
