Aircraft of the Berlin Airlift: The Sunderland Flying Boat

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 No discussion of the aircraft of the Berlin Airlift would be complete without the Sunderland Flying Boats. The Sunderland's overall contribution to the Airlift was modest. They were introduced on 5 July and withdrawn on 15 December 1948. Yet they made a unique contribution and the won the hearts of the Berliners.

 

The Sunderland was developed in response to a 1933 British Air Ministry specification for a long-range reconnaissance and patrol seaplane. The aircraft manufacturer Short Brothers was working at the same time on a civilian long-range flying boat to serve transoceanic passenger traffic. It came up with two similar but not identical designs. The civilian aircraft became known as the Empire and the military version was the Sunderland.

The Empire was successfully tested in June 1936 and a year later the prototype of the Sunderland was ready for trials. By March 1938, the design with modest modifications had proved itself to be extraordinarily successful. It was remarkably fuel efficient enabling it to stay in the air for 18 hours at a time. This gave it a range of 2,750 miles. At its destination it could be refueled in just 20 minutes. It had a maximum speed of 210 mph and a cruising speed of 150 mph for maximum fuel efficiency. It was designed for a crew of seven, but during the war often carried as many as 11 crew members in order to man guns and provide pilot back-up.


The interior of the Sunderland was roomy, with two decks. The lower deck housed a workshop for inflight repair work, and also providing six bunks where the crew could rest or injured/rescued personnel could be placed. It also had a wardroom, galley and toilet. The flight deck was on the upper level as were the gun turrets, astrodome and bomb aimer compartments. The Sunderland was originally designed to carry bombs or mines, and its primary mission was anti-submarine warfare. While it engaged in mine-laying operations throughout the war, it proved to be a disappointing bomb platform. As a result, they were rapidly modified to drop depth charges instead. Its defensive armaments were initially machine-guns in the nose, beneath the wings on both sides, and a tail turret. Later in the war, a dorsal turret was also added. Altogether it carried 16 guns, and these were sufficient to give the Sunderlands a fighting chance of beating off fighter attacks. The Luftwaffe dubbed it the "Flying Porcupine." 

From the start of the war, the Sunderlands (of which the RAF had 39 in 1939) proved extremely valuable as rescue craft. Their ability to land at sea, take survivors off sunken ships or downed aircraft, and then return to the air saved the lives of hundreds over the course of the war. They also helped successfully evacuate troops from Crete, taking as many as 80 passengers per flight. Sunderlands played a key role in the early phases of the Battle for Malta both providing vital reconnaissance and sinking enemy shipping, but proved oto vulnerable to attacks by enemy aircraft while anchored for refueling, refitting and supply.

The Sunderland's main theater of operation was the "Battle of the Atlantic," where it was critical as a convoy escort. Due to the bird's eye perspective of the long-range aircraft, U-Boats lurking on the surface could be found and reported to the Royal Navy, which in turn alerted convoys of the threat and sent surface ships to attack the U-Boats. However, the Sunderland also attacked U-Boats from the air with their guns and depth charges. The first offensive victory was the sinking of a German U-boat in July 1940. Twenty-six U-Boats are known to have been sunk by Sunderlands and many others that dived deep to avoid attacks probably never resurfaced, although no claims could be made without evidence.

Over the course of the war, the Kriegsmarine and the RAF engaged in a technological battle. Sunderlands were fitted with onboard radar to help find the Germans, and the Kriegsmarine countered with radar designed to detect the Sunderlands before they could attack, giving the U-Boats time to dive to safety.  Sunderlands were so effective that the U-Boats were given flak guns for protection; the RAF responded by increasing the firepower in the Sunderland's nose to four guns. In the closing years of the war, Sunderlands and U-Boats frequently fought running battles with bitter tenacity on both sides. (Below a painting by John Alan Hamilton, "Caught on the Surface." It now hangs in the Imperial War Museum, London).

Sunderlands remained in service with the RAF through the Korean War until 1959. They also flew under the Australian, New Zealand, South African, Canadian, French and Norwegian flags. 

During the Berlin Airlift, 10 Sunderlands were moved to Finkenwalde on the Elbe near Hamburg and used to deliver goods to Berlin. A primary cargo was salt. Berlin needed 38 tons of salt each day, but salt was a dangerous cargo for conventional freighters whose control cables ran below the cargo hold and could become dangerously corroded. The cables of the Sunderland, on the other hand, were in the ceiling, far away from salt water -- and salt cargoes. The first Sunderland converted into a freighter for the Airlift landed on Berlin's Havel River with a great splash on 5 July 1948. It was greeted by a flotilla of small boats flying bunting and excited Berliners in bathing suits. 

Although both loading and off-loading the flying boats was particularly tedious and time-consuming because everything had to be taken to and from the Sunderlands by floating barge or boat, the flying boats made more than 2,000 sorties on the Berlin Airlift. They were withdrawn on 15 December because of the increasing risk of ice on the Havel. The burden of bringing salt to Berlin was transferred to the Halifax/Halton, which could also carry it below it's cables, namely in paniers hung in the former bomb bay.

The Berlin Airlift is the subject of Bridge to Tomorrow, a trilogy of novels starting with Cold Peace and followed by Cold War and Cold Victory.


Standing up to dictators isn’t easy — but sometimes it’s necessary.

Berlin 1948. The economy is broken, the currency worthless, and the Russian bear is hungry. Next on the menu is Berlin. Here war heroes and war’s victims are struggling to come to terms with a world where unemployment is widespread and the wartime Allies are at each other’s throats. When a Russian fighter brings down a British passenger plane, and the world teeters on the brink of World War Three. The defenders of freedom must work together to save Berlin from Soviet tyranny. The first battle of the Cold War is about to begin.

Based on historical events, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader brings to life the backstory of the West's bloodless victory against Russian aggression via the Berlin Airlift in Cold Peace, the first book in the Bridge to Tomorrow Series.

Cold Peace is the winner of WINNER of an Independent Press Award 2025 in the category: Political Thriller, Runner-Up for BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 from the Historical Fiction Company,  GOLD (1st Place) in the category Historical Fiction from the Feathered Quill Book Awards 2024, GOLD (1st Place) in the category Wartime Fiction from the Historical Fiction Company Book Awards 2023, SILVER (2nd Place) in the category Political Thriller from Readers' Favorites Book Awards 2023, a MAINCREST MEDIA Award and a BRAG Medallion. 

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Stopping Russian Aggression with milk, coal and candy bars….

Berlin is under siege. More than two million civilians must be supplied by air or surrender to Stalin’s oppression.

USAF Captain J.B. Baronowsky and RAF Flight Lieutenant Kit Moran once risked their lives to drop high explosives on Berlin. They are about to deliver milk, flour and children’s shoes instead. Meanwhile, two women pilots are flying an air ambulance that carries malnourished and abandoned children to freedom in the West. Until General Winter deploys on the side of Russia….

Based on historical events, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader delivers an insightful, exciting and moving tale about how former enemies became friends in the face of Russian aggression — and how close the Berlin Airlift came to failing. 

WINNER OF BRONZE for 20th Century Historical Fiction from the Global Book Awards 2024 

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You know you’re winning when the enemy turns to dirty tricks ….

With the Airlift gaining momentum, the Russians turn to more devious tactics to thwart the forces of democracy. Key players — or their loved ones — are targeted in unscrupulous attacks. Simultaneously, the policy of “collective guilt” has been replaced by “collective amnesty,” enabling former Nazis to worm their way back into positions of power. Yet throughout this dangerous dance with the henchmen of dictators, women are steadily rebuilding Berlin and Germany.

Award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader takes the reader away from the limelight and into the shadow side of the Berlin Airlift to explore the social, psychological and long-term impact of this seminal event.

Based on historical events, Cold Victory reminds readers that standing up to tyrants isn’t easy — but sometimes it is necessary.

Buy Now!

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