Operation Vittles: Little Vittles
1948
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This clip from the film Operation Vittles shows pilot Gail Halvorsen, who earned the nickname "Berlin Candy Bomber," and explains his "Little Vittles" operation. Halvorsen tied candy bars to small handkerchiefs – acting as parachutes – and dropped them to children in Berlin during the Berlin Airlift.
It also describes how planes were arranged in the available air space to maximize the number of flights, and therefore food and fuel, that could be dropped into Berlin after the Soviet Union blocked all land routes.
At the end of World War II, Germany had been divided into zones of occupation controlled by the Allied Powers: the United States, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. The city of Berlin – nestled inside the Soviet zone of occupation – was divided into sectors, each controlled by a separate Allied Power.
Refugees flowed from the East to the West. In June 1948, the Soviet Union blocked all ground access to the sectors of Berlin under Western Control. With roadways, canals, and railways blocked, the Western Allies had to rely on airplanes to deliver supplies to people in West Berlin. For the entirety of the blockade, planes flew constantly to supply the city of Berlin in what is known as the Berlin Airlift or Operation Vittles.
It also describes how planes were arranged in the available air space to maximize the number of flights, and therefore food and fuel, that could be dropped into Berlin after the Soviet Union blocked all land routes.
At the end of World War II, Germany had been divided into zones of occupation controlled by the Allied Powers: the United States, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. The city of Berlin – nestled inside the Soviet zone of occupation – was divided into sectors, each controlled by a separate Allied Power.
Refugees flowed from the East to the West. In June 1948, the Soviet Union blocked all ground access to the sectors of Berlin under Western Control. With roadways, canals, and railways blocked, the Western Allies had to rely on airplanes to deliver supplies to people in West Berlin. For the entirety of the blockade, planes flew constantly to supply the city of Berlin in what is known as the Berlin Airlift or Operation Vittles.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer.
National Archives Identifier: 24076
Full Citation: Motion Picture 111-ADC-10314; Operation Vittles; 1948; Moving Images Relating to Military Activities, 1947 - 1964; Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, Record Group 111; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/little-vittles, March 28, 2024]Rights: Copyright Not Evaluated Learn more on our privacy and legal page.