The Lighter:
This German made semi-automatic lighter marked Weltzunder (World Tinder), was produced by Kremer and Bayer (circa 1949). Semi-automatic means it has a mechanism that once trigger will cause the lighter to spring and engage the flint wheel. Here is an example. After World War II, Kremer and Bayer made lighters marketed toward the occupying troops. This lighter depicts the massive measures taken to save an entire city from starvation.
The Military Operation:
After World War II all of Germany was carved into zones occupied by the different Allies. The western part of Germany was divided into individual zones between France, Great Britain, and the United States. The eastern part of Germany was occupied by the Soviet Union.
War torn Berlin was completely located deep inside the Soviet zone, but because of its symbolic importance as the nation’s capital, and the seat of the former Nazi government, it was also subdivided into four sectors.
The Soviets were growing tired of having democratic influence so deep in Russia. On June 24, 1948, Soviet forces blockaded all road, rail, and water routes into Berlin’s Allied-controlled areas, stifling the vital flow of food, coal, medial provisions, and any other life essentials. The plan was to starve and freeze two million West Berliners into accepting communism and force the British, French, and American military out.
No city had ever been kept alive solely by airlift; the tonnage requirements were simply too great, especially in winter. It looked like the Allies only options were retreat or go back into another bloody conflict. Instead, America set-out to do the impossible.
On June 26, the U.S. launched Operation Vittles (which the U.K. later joined), the largest logistical operation the world had ever seen. America and Britain scrambled to obtain all resources and pilots they had and started flights the very next day, and within that first week they had a plane landing every eight minutes to discharge 2 1/2 tons of cargo, well over 150 planeloads a day. However, this was only about one-thirtieth of the food, fuel, and medicine that would be required.
The Communist press in East Berlin ridiculed the efforts being made to counter Soviet demands and mockingly referred to “The futile attempts of the Americans to save face and to maintain their untenable position in Berlin.”
Those first few days were brutal for the pilots and ground crews. The aircrews flew eight hours, then did eight hours of ground duty, then tried to sleep six or seven hours. Sometimes on a single flight they ran into rain, fog, hail, and even snow flurries.
For 321 days straight, American and British troops streamlined, upgraded, and tackled every transportation issue you can endure while maintaining a fever pace to save the city. They planned, built, or improved landing sites, warehouses, and maintenance hangers while keeping a constant flow of airplanes loading, landing, and unloading. At one point, Air Force and Navy planes were landing at just one Berlin Airport (Tempelhof) every 45 seconds.
The Soviet Union gave in and lifted the blockade on May 11, 1949. The Allies had proven their ingenuity and efficiency. In the end it was clear to the Soviets that the Allies would not waiver in their resolve.
Operation Vittles continued a few more months to ensure Soviet authenticity and ensure a comfortable surplus. In the end, 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; almost the distance from the Earth to the Sun.
The Berlin Airlift was the first challenge of the burgeoning Cold War, and it completed as a symbol of Allied solidarity. Despite the colossal obstacles, risks, and sacrifices, Operation Vittles was a remarkable success saving millions of lives.
Personal Thoughts:
I find it frustrating that there is an imbalance between tragedy and triumph when it comes to the memories held in the public consciousness. We are taught and remember, wars, battles, and tragedies that the world has suffered, while this enormous act of multinational kindness, toward what was recetly an enemy nation, fades into obscurity. I truly love that we honor our fallen, and I hope remembering suffering at its worst somehow stops it from repeating. I just wish we remembered the times we were at our most altruistic as enthusiastically.