Die Rosinenbomber

The American airbase near us celebrated the end of the Soviet Blockade of Berlin by flying some of the planes that were used to supply the city between June 1948 & May 1949.  And the reason they did it today was today is a holiday here and it was also their Open Door day.

"Die Rosinenbomber" would translate as "raisin bombers"* - also known as "Candy Bombers".  And that name should set you off on the trail of the US Air Force pilot Gail Halvorsen.  He was the first pilot to attach little parachutes to chocolate bars. His idea to throw them out of the window of his airplane to the kids watching the planes on their approach to Berlin.

When the press got hold of the story, the idea was picked up not only by other pilots but by the USAF and it became "Operation Little Vittles".

*German nouns that end in '-er' do not add an 's' to denote the plural, so in this case it would be "der Rosinenbomber" in singular and "die Rosinenbomber in plural.