Soviet Provocations and British Resistance

On April 1, 1948, British military police blocked access roads to a checkpoint unlawfully erected by Soviet authorities in the British sector. The area was once part of Groß Glienicke and had been exchanged for Berlin land at Staaken Airfield in September 1945. The Soviet soldiers abandoned the post following a protest by the British city commandant. At the same time, the "Small Airlift" began as a response by the Americans and the British to Soviet border harassments.

In the case of Gatow Airfield, which was a significant part of the British sector at the time and the only British airport in Berlin, this meant the first direct confrontation at the new border. Gatow Airfield became a central hub for the airlift due to its strategic location and played a crucial role in the subsequent supply of West Berlin.