Berlin’s Lifeline: The 1948 Airlift in Stunning Color!

This gripping colorized footage unveils the heroic Berlin Airlift of 1948, a pivotal Cold War operation when the Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin’s East sector, triggering starvation and deprivation among its 2.5 million residents. Led by the U.S. and supported by allied nations, the airlift—codenamed Operation Vittles—saw over 200,000 flights deliver food, coal, and supplies via Tempelhof, Gatow, and Tegel airports, sustaining the city from June 1948 to May 1949. Filmed in vibrant hues, the film captures C-47s and C-54s buzzing over rubble-strewn Berlin, unloading cargo amidst cheering crowds, and showcasing the resilience of a divided city. A dazzling testament to human ingenuity and international cooperation, this restored archive grips history buffs, aviation enthusiasts, and Cold War scholars, offering a vivid glimpse of Berlin’s lifeline frozen in time.