Short Sunderland MR.5 (NS-D) of 201 Squadron delivering supplies during the Berlin Airlift, 1948-1949

The Berlin Airlift was the first major confrontation between the East and the West during the Cold War. It was known as Operation 'Plainfare' by the British and Operation 'Vittles' by the Americans.

As part of the huge effort to relieve the besieged city, the British adopted unusual solutions. Short Sunderland flying boats were even used, flying from Finkenwerder on the Elbe near Hamburg to the Havel river next to RAF Gatow. They were used to deliver baking powder and other salt into the city as they had special corrosion-resistant hulls as a result of being designed to operate from the sea.