The British airfields: The key to success

Since the French occupying power had most of its aircraft deployed to French Indochina, the British civilian airlines, the RAF, and the USAF made the greatest contributions to supplying the blocked Western sectors of Berlin. On 13 December, after 171 days, the Berlin Airlift carried out by the Allied forces, reached the impressive mark of 580,856 tonnes, with the British contribution amounting to approximately 164,000 tonnes. However, the British contribution encompassed much more than just the great number of different aircraft. The British network of airfields in their occupation zone formed the crucial infrastructure for the complex airlift system.

In addition to Gatow Airfield, seven other British airfields in the British occupation zone were used for transportation to Berlin until the conclusion of the airlift: RAF Bückeburg, RAF Celle, RAF Fassberg, Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel, RAF Lübeck, RAF Schleswigland and RAF Wunstorf.