Around 20 so-called “candy bombers” flew over the German capital yesterday to mark the legendary Berlin Airlift of 70 years ago.
The vintage planes – dubbed “candy bombers” by the US Air Force and known affectionately by the Germans as “raisin bombers” – flew over crowds at the now closed Tempelhof airport in the south of the city.
The Douglas DC-3 aircraft took off from Fassberg airfield in Lower Saxony where there is a memorial to the life-saving airlift.
The vintage planes were not able to land at the decommissioned former inner city airport, which is now a public park.
The square in front of the former terminal building bears the name Airlift Square (Platz der Luftbruecke) in commemoration.
The city state of Berlin had already commemorated the airlift on May 12.
During the rail, road and waterway blockade of the western part of Berlin by the Soviets from June 24, 1948, to May 12, 1949, the Western Allies brought much-needed relief supplies to the isolated residents by aeroplane.
With nearly 280,000 flights, the US, British and French military supplied more than 2mn people with nearly 2mn tonnes of vital cargo such as food and fuel.
About 70% of the coal transports were flown to Berlin from Fassberg in the northwestern state of Lower Saxony.
So-called ‘Rosinenbomber’ (candy bombers) aircraft are seen on display at the air base in Fassberg, northern Germany.
