THE BERLIN AIRLIFT

One of the first concrete problems that George Dantzig's linear programming helped

solve was the massive supply to West Berlin shortly after World War II$.$

Berlin surrendered to the Russian army on May $2,1945.$ During the following weeks, the

Russians shipped most of the city's industrial goods to Russia. The American, British,

and French troops did not arrive until July $1945.$ Even before the war ended, the Allies

decided to divide the city into four sectors$,$ each country occupying one. Berlin lay deep

in the Russian sector of the country, but the Western powers assumed that the Soviets

would allow them free access to the city. However, on June $24,1948$ the Soviets blocked

all land and water routes through East Germany to Berlin. They hoped to drive the

Western powers from East Germany. The problem facing the Western Allies was how to

keep West Berlin supplied during the Russian blockade.

The problem was turned over to the Planning Research Division of the U$.$S$.$ Air Force.

Their staff had been working on similar programming problems, most of which were

theoretical. They were now asked to apply their new methods to a very practical

problem. Their solution helped shatter Soviet hopes of using the blockade to win total

occupation of Berlin. A gigantic airlift was organized to supply more than $2$ million

people in West Berlin. It was a large$-$scale program that required intricate planning. To

break the blockade, hundreds of American and British planes delivered massive

quantities of food, clothing, coal, petroleum, and other supplies. At its peak, a plane

landed in West Berlin every $45$ seconds.

The number of variables in the formulation of the problem exceeded $50.$ They included

the number of planes, crew capacity, runways, supplies in Berlin, supplies in West

Germany, and money.