Navy Air in the Berlin

Remembrances of an Enlisted Pilot

Capt. Christensen, a naval
reservist, wrote this article when
he was a midshipman at the U.S.
Naval Academy in 1964. The
author’s father, Wesley T.--whose
memorabilia and accounts provid-
ed much of the material for this
article--was a Chief Aviation Pilot
flying R5Ds for Air Transport
Squadron (VR) 8 from 1948 to 1949.
He commanded the only all-enlist-
ed flight crew in the Berlin Airlift,
which included copilot Petty
Officer First Class Joseph A. Popp
and flight engineer Chief Petty
Officer Ira Fox. Capt. Christensen
dedicates this story to his father,
who passed away in December 1994.

I
n modern times, airplanes have
played a large role in the lives of
Bearing the title “Berlin Airlift Champs,” this VR-8 R5D returned to the U.S. with a
Berliners, but in 1948 Allied air jubilant crew.
power was the link to life for over two
million West Berlin residents. American aircraft. Similar operations Aviators of VRs 6 and 8, called to
On 21 June 1948 the Soviets were performed by the British and Germany in October 1948 to augment
closed their occupation sector of French. West Berlin’s Tempelhof air- Operation Vittles--until then a solely
Germany to ground traffic, citing a port eventually landed U.S. planes at Air Force operation.
need for repairs to railroads and the 3-minute intervals, 24 hours a day. VRs 6 and 8 were deployed in the
autobahn. Isolated in the red zone, Gatow airport handled British traffic to Pacific as part of the Naval Air
West Berlin was cut off from food and Berlin. French airlift planes landed at Transport Service (NATS) prior to
coal supplies. Five days later, General Tegel, in the French sector. being called to Germany. VR-8, sta-
Curtis LeMay organized “Operation Twenty-four of the 180 American tioned at John Rogers airport,
Vittles.” Commanded by Major C-54s flying food and coal were better Honolulu, Hawaii, flew passengers
General William H. Tunner, USAF, the known to their pilots and crews as and cargo from NAS Moffett Field,
undertaking eventually employed 180 R5Ds. These men were Naval Calif., to John Rogers and further

“Vittles” Navy flight operations were conducted on a 24-hour basis; floodlights were a big help in loading and fueling aircraft.
Here, VR-6 R5Ds are readied for a night run from Rhein-Main airport in Frankfurt, Germany.

34 Naval Aviation News January-February 1996

Airlift
and new bases further complicated weight of inoperable radars.
the picture. In the Pacific, both From Jacksonville, the squadrons
squadrons operated in tropical and flew to Westover AFB, Mass. Pilots
semitropical weather. Honolulu tem- from VR-8 remember Westover
peratures averaged in the seventies weather being light snow and driz-
all year round, while Guam tempera- zle--very much a forecast of things to
tures ran higher. Visibility problems come.
By Capt. Daniel W. Christensen, USNR
seldom included fog, although pilots Transport planes of that time did
kept up their ground controlled not span the Atlantic in one jump as
west to Midway and Johnston islands approach (GCA) qualifications. they do now. Crossing to Europe was
and Guam. From Guam, one of the Germany promised to present accomplished in a series of flights fol-
many but far-flung specks in the opposite weather conditions and tem- lowing a path of least resistance.
Pacific, VR-6 extended the NATS run peratures. Accordingly, Navy supply Stevensville, Newfoundland, was the
west to Manila, Tokyo and Shanghai. in Guam and Honolulu issued long next gas stop. From there, the two
Squadron aircraft were of mixed underwear, wool socks, parkas and squadrons flew to Lajes AFB in the
cargo and passenger configuration foul weather gear. Deficiencies were Azores.
with a few plush planes specially out- made up at Moffett Field and Rhein-Main airport was the ulti-
fitted for carrying VIPs. Jacksonville, Fla., as the squadrons mate destination; however, the planes
Commander James O. Vosseller, flew to Germany. encountered the infamous German
skipper of VR-8, received orders to Each departing plane was loaded ground fog. Fog proved to be the air-
move his squadron to Germany on 27 with three crews, maintenance per- lift’s greatest hazard and as Navy
October 1948. To pick up the pilots sonnel and a spare engine. VR-8 R5Ds tried to fly into Frankfurt, the
and crews strewn across the Pacific, traded its VIP aircraft to Hawaii-based airport was closed to all but current
Marines for cargo planes. In all, 12 airlift traffic. Unable to break into the
aircraft from VR-8 and 8 from VR-6 GCA pattern bringing “Vittles” aircraft
left for California on the first leg of through the weather, Navy pilots
their journey. At 180 knots, Germany diverted throughout western Europe.
was a long distance away. But, within 36 hours, all of the aircraft
No time was available to move except one had found their way to
families stateside. A small measure of Rhein-Main. Neither squadron was
consolation came in the form of delayed by major maintenance prob-
orchid corsages and invitations to lems en route.
Christmas dinner at the Pearl Harbor Upon arrival, VR-6 was placed with
naval base, which were sent to each the 1422nd Air Transport Group.
wife by Navy headquarters in Hawaii. Across the field, VR-8 was stationed
At NAS Moffett Field, home of with the 61st Troop Carrier Group.
transport maintenance squadron VR- Taxiways and hardstands in the area
44, VR-8 swapped airplanes, getting were steel mats placed on the bare
rid of planes nearly due for overhaul. ground.
VR-6 acquired four additional aircraft Officers and enlisted alike were
from VR-44 to bring the squadron’s quartered in the Betts barracks in
strength up to the customary 12 air- Frankfurt about 22 kilometers from
craft. Seventeen officers and 15 the base. The ex-German barracks,
Robert H. Davidson checks the lashings enlisted personnel transferred from old stone buildings with narrow win-
on a 10-ton load of flour headed for VR-8 to VR-6 as temporary crews for dows, provided adequate but not lux-
Berlin’s Templehof airport during urious quarters for the new arrivals.
Operation Vittles.
the additional planes.
Twenty-four planes left Moffett The buildings had two and three
Field for NAS Jacksonville via Kelly decks, steam heat and community
planes flew to Johnston and AFB, San Antonio, Texas. During a showers. Many believed that the boil-
Kwajalein islands and Guam. Layover four-day layover at Jacksonville, radar er stoker in the basement quit work-
crews resting between legs of their was installed in the big planes in ing at sunset. Heat that ran full blast
flights were soon on their way to anticipation of Germany’s bad weath- in the daytime disappeared complete-
Germany as the first planes left for er and adverse flying conditions. ly at night. Through the windows, fog
Moffett Field two days later. Radar was relatively new to trans- and occasional snow did nothing to
VR-6, under Commander C. C. port aircraft and only one plane of brighten the picture.
Howerton, received similar orders on either squadron was equipped with it After a 24-hour rest, Navy pilots
30 October and commenced recalling on the Pacific run. Unfortunately, even commenced the Rhein-Main-to-
crews and planes in the Far East. The the new radar proved useless Tempelhof run carrying coal, potatoes
first flights left on 1 November. because its transmission frequencies and flour. In the Betts barracks, an
Transferring 20 planes with their interfered with Tempelhof GCA alert system operated to notify pilots
crews, pilots and maintenance per- receivers. At Rhein-Main in Frankfurt, and crews of upcoming flights. Once
sonnel was no small matter. Geo- Germany, the fuses were removed an operating schedule was estab-
graphic differences between the old and all planes flew with the dead lished, crews could count on 24 hours

Naval Aviation News January-February 1996 35

of rest between duty periods. pilot, who in turn was responsible for
Airlift operations resembled three notifying his copilot and engineer.
pipelines running to Berlin--two flow- Each crew was given an approximate
ing in, one flowing either way. From time of departure and told which bus
the Royal Air Force Base at to catch for the ride to the base. Many
Fassberg, in the British sector, planes felt that the bus run between the bar-
flew through the northern corridor to racks and the airport was the most
Gatow, the British base in Berlin. dangerous part of the trip. An hour
Flying west through the central corri- with the German driver apparently
dor, British planes, once clear of the rivaled corridor flights for thrills.
Russian zone, turned north to While the crew received a weather
Fassberg. Americans turned south to briefing, the planes received 10-ton The only all-enlisted aircrew in the
Weisbaden and Rhein-Main. loads of coal, potatoes and flour in Berlin Airlift: left to right, Aviation Chief
In the south, five squadrons at 100-pound bags. After a few flights, Machinist’s Mate Ira Fox, flight engi-
Weisbaden and eight at Rhein-Main, dust from these cargoes accumulated neer; Aviation Pilot First Class Joseph
including the two Navy squadrons, everywhere, and the recently vacated A. Popp, copilot; and Chief Aviation
used a corridor through the Russian cockpit seats remained the only clean Pilot Wesley T. Christensen, aircraft
commander. Christensen was commis-
zone that was 20 miles wide and spot on the airplane. Each plane was
sioned in 1955 and retired from active
7,000 feet high--the former dimen- given 1,500 gallons of gasoline, pre- duty in 1959 as a lieutenant (junior
sion dictated by politics, the latter by determined to be adequate for one grade).
operating limitations. Planes were round trip to Berlin with enough
stacked at 500-foot intervals and reserve to make Weisbaden, the simulated strafing run. Perhaps see-
spaced three minutes apart at suc- alternate field for Rhein-Main. ing danger to themselves as well as
cessive altitudes. Inbound loaded Surviving the hour bus ride from to the Americans, the Russians never
speed was 170 knots, while outbound Betts, the pilots and engineer (“the showed in bad weather.
pilots maintained 180 knots. mech” to Navy crews), received their When a loaded plane called
Weisbaden controlled U.S. opera- weather “dope,” block assignment Tempelhof control for landing instruc-
tions and each squadron maintained and estimated time of release. A bus tions, GCA operators assumed con-
its own operations schedule to meet stood by to run the three-man crews trol over the blind plane to bring it
commitments. Normally, blocks of 12 out to the waiting planes. down. Pilots recall that after a few
planes were released to take off at a After preflighting the plane and trips, the voices in the earphones
designated time. No order was speci- checking the load, pilots turned up became a determining factor in a
fied in the blocks, each plane taking their engines and called in to the blind landing. Hearing a voice in
its place in line as it warmed up. As Rhein-Main tower when ready to roll. which he had confidence, a pilot
each block approached the corridor A block was set up so that planes would take his plane “all the way.”
mouth, its planes took up their pre- ready to taxi could go any time during Many times, the runway became visi-
designated altitudes for the 45-minute a 10- or 12-minute period. Should a ble only when a squeak and a bump
flight to Berlin. plane fail to report itself ready to go, it announced that the plane was on the
Loaded planes flying into Berlin was scratched and another plane ground. Listening to an unfamiliar
were designated “Big Easy”--the B in moved up in line. Mud oozed around voice in which he placed no special
Big indicating Rhein-Main-based air- the wheel hubs as 45 tons of loaded confidence, a pilot might elect to go
craft. Those based at Weisbaden plane taxied over the perforated steel around and return to Rhein-Main
were designated “Able Easy.” In con- matting. At night, a hand-held lamp when the runway failed to appear.
trast to the four-engined R5Ds and C- provided illumination on the ground. The excellence of the GCA operators
54s the twin-engined C-47s carried On the first leg, aircraft entered the is attested to by Tempelhof’s final
the name of “Little Easy.” corridor over the Russian sector. approach. Two seven-story apartment
Rhein-Main loaded Big Easy air- Traffic from Weisbaden to Rhein-Main buildings bordered the final. Many
craft from large flatbed and semitrailer assumed assigned positions to facili- crews did not know about the build-
trucks operated by the Army trans- tate the three-minute pattern at ings until weeks after they had com-
portation corps. From West Germany Tempelhof. menced flying. In rare clear weather,
and western Europe, food and coal In the corridor, the weather occupants of the buildings and the
flowed into Frankfurt by rail. A steady increased the difficulties. There were aircraft were plainly visible to each
stream of trucks kept supplies moving no beacons over the Russian zone, other.
from the railroad marshaling yards to and the R5Ds navigated by radio Approaching this hazardous situa-
the endless stream of waiting planes. compass tracking. Changing altitude tion, aircraft commanders reduced
VRs 6 and 8 quickly fell into the to avoid bad weather was impossible speed to 140 knots and dropped to
established patterns. Men and with other planes a bare 500 feet 2,000 feet altitude. Here, the three-
machines alike lived for one purpose above and below. In the Navy planes, minute spacing became most critical
and were governed only by the needs the radar sat useless. In clear condi- with all incoming planes at the same
of two-and-a-half million people in the tions, an occasional Russian fighter altitude.
blockaded city. would appear. Yaks and PE-2s some- Inbound traffic executed a series of
Squadron operations at Rhein- times flew formation with the loaded turns to align themselves with the run-
Main telephoned Betts to alert the transports, finally breaking off in a way. The GCA controller guided the

36 Naval Aviation News January-February 1996

plane on his radar screen through two Though new to Germany, Navy plane. The cycle perpetuated itself
more right turns for the final approach men did not let strange surroundings until a new part was found.
between the apartments. During the affect getting the job done. VRs 6 and No attempt was made to clean the
entire time, the controller maintained 8 performed to the everlasting credit planes’ interiors, which were covered
a steady stream of talk. No acknowl- of Navy air. Month after month, the with grime. Fuselage holes, where the
edgement came from the pilot, but in two squadrons topped Air Force emergency windows had been
the event he heard nothing for 30 squadrons in statistics. During the first removed as a way to ventilate the
seconds, he executed an immediate two months in Germany, Navy pilots explosive coal dust, added to the run-
missed approach procedure and flew a total of 3,036 trips. On 16 down appearance of “Vittles” aircraft.
headed back for Rhein-Main. December 1948, VR-8 flew 51 trips to Crew members stayed in the cockpit
Following the “Follow Me” jeep, Big Berlin, achieving an efficiency of 222 while flying. Anyone going aft held on
Easy aircraft taxied to the unloading percent or 122 percent over the against the suction from the open
apron. The trucks that met incoming squadron’s officially rated capacity. windows.
planes were configured according to VR-6 was never far behind and, in the Facilities for more extensive main-
a loading report sent by the pilot on final summation, both squadrons out- tenance were also jury-rigged. At first,
his way into Berlin. Medium, Bulky, or flew any Air Force unit there. Navy planes were sent to
Heavy loads were met by an ordinary The lion’s share of credit belongs Burtonwood, England, for their 200-
truck, a flatbed, or a truck and forklift, to the mechanics; Navy planes even- hour checks at the Air Force mainte-
respectively. Most often, coal, flour tually averaged 13.1 hours per day in nance facility there. But ground crews
and potatoes were unloaded a bag at the air. An Air Force spokesman cred- soon improvised nosebays and
a time, as it had been loaded at ited Navy maintenance for the engine tents--inadequately heated by
Frankfurt. squadrons’ enviable record during the the gasoline heaters--which enabled
Besides the trucks, three other eight-month period in Germany. them to provide required maintenance
vehicles met each incoming plane. An Preventive maintenance was the services at Rhein-Main. No doubt, this
emergency repair crew stopped to watchword for flight line operations. capability was a determining factor in
check on minor equipment failures. A Changing tires and spark plugs was the squadrons’ outstanding records.
weather jeep brought information for accomplished on the mat hardstands Both Navy squadrons did not come
the return flight and a lunch wagon while planes were readied for another through the airlift unscathed, however.
sold coffee, donuts and hot dogs-- flight. Mechanics previously accus- Taking off from Rhein-Main, a VR-8
Christmas dinner for some flight per- tomed to layover periods measured in R5D pierced a tire on the steel run-
sonnel. Crews stayed with their days now had to work on the planes way mat. Over Tempelhof the wheels
planes, munching a snack, reading as they landed and were loaded for a refused to come down and the plane
the weather report or dickering for return trip. A three-shift maintenance was sent back. Neither Tempelhof nor
souvenirs with one of the stevedores. schedule kept mechanics on duty Rhein-Main could afford a fouled run-
A favorite item to buy was a hand- around the clock. To stave off the wet, way at any time. The crippled plane
crafted aluminum model of an R5D freezing cold, ground crews rigged flew to Bavaria, dumping out bags of
mounted on a wooden stand and suit- canvas line shacks warmed by gaso- food and coal on the way, and landed
ably embellished with squadron num- line hot air heaters that had been wheels up and flaps down at an air
ber, “Operation Vittles-1948” and reworked to give maximum output. In base.
your name, all for six cartons of ciga- the middle of VR-8’s muddy hard- It is an established fact that the
rettes. stand area, a similar jury-rigged struc- Navy did its share during the Berlin
Some 17 minutes after landing, Big ture served as the head. Airlift--and more. The reason why is
Easy was now empty and warmed up Parts, always scarce, sometimes open to conjecture. Some authorities
for the return flight. A plane was became critical by their absence. In advance a competition factor regard-
diverted to Weisbaden if Rhein-Main one instance, an incoming plane was ing Navy performance statistics. No
proved to be below GCA minimums. robbed of a landing gear bracket doubt, the two squadrons were aware
In Weisbaden, Rhein-Main planes which was transferred to a loaded of their own presence in an Air Force
were loaded and sent back to Berlin. plane ready to go. One time, VR-6 environment. The theory cannot be
Crews were never sure where they maintenance personnel swapped a discounted. As already noted, mainte-
might end up in their 24 hours of duty. needed fluorescent light from plane to nance played a key role. Morale and
intangibles must account for a big
slice of the whole.
“Big Easy 55” of VR-8 landed on her belly during an Operation Vittles flight to
Berlin. Whatever the reasons, Navy per-
sonnel returning from Frankfurt could
be justifiably proud of their record.
Always in competition with Air Force
aviators, their feelings were probably
best summed up by an article in the
New York Times, which stated, “...
Air Force--132 percent...Navy--
155 percent.”

37