USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Coal represented 65% of all of the material airlifted to West Berlin. The large C-54s, the military equivalent of DC-4s, were capable of carrying ten tons, and they transported a majority of the goods airlifted to Berlin.

Detailed explanation-2: -The first planes took off from England and western Germany on June 26, loaded with food, clothing, water, medicine and fuel. At the beginning of the operation, the planes delivered about 5, 000 tons of supplies to West Berlin every day; by the end, those loads had increased to about 8, 000 tons of supplies per day.

Detailed explanation-3: -During the entire airlift, the U.S. and U.K. delivered more than 2.3 million tons of food, fuel and supplies to West Berlin via more than 278, 000 airdrops. American aircrews made more than 189, 000 flights, totaling nearly 600, 000 flying hours and exceeding 92 million miles.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Berlin Airlift was a tremendous Cold War victory for the United States. Without firing a shot, the Americans foiled the Soviet plan to hold West Berlin hostage, while simultaneously demonstrating to the world the “Yankee ingenuity” for which their nation was famous.

Detailed explanation-5: -The crisis started on June 24, 1948, when Soviet forces blockaded rail, road, and water access to Allied-controlled areas of Berlin. The United States and United Kingdom responded by airlifting food and fuel to Berlin from Allied airbases in western Germany.