The weather was far from ideal as Major General Tunner approached Tempelhof airport. Under normal situations, all flights would be grounded. Solid sheets of rain blocked radar signals, and heavy storm clouds had descended to crest the nearby buildings. Visibility was poor to zero. Normally, the heavily laden C-54 Skymaster would have been redirected 600 miles to the nearest serviceable landing field. But nothing about the last few weeks had been normal.
Over the past 7 weeks, the skies over Tempelhof had been clogged. There had been up to 400 aircraft landing each day, carrying vital supplies for a city under siege. On average, a flight would land or take off once every 4 minutes.
Berlin Airlift - Berlin Blockade
Few would have believed that such a feat was possible a few months before, even under ideal conditions. But the dire demands of necessity dictated it. Without food, the city would starve. Without fuel, the people would freeze.
The fate of West Berlin was hanging by a thread. Without heat or food, the population would surely capitulate to the Russians occupying the Eastern half of the city. If West Berlin fell, the Soviet Union’s position would be immeasurably strengthened.
