h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A632486

Hi Scouts

I think this entry could well fill a gap in the guide.

Lizzy

Generally, this looks like a pretty good Entry. The main problem at the moment seems to be a GuideML one. I'm not very technically-minded, so I'm not sure if this is just something to do with my browser, but when I look at the Entry I'm seeing half-words at the end of one line and then the whole word at the start of the next: e.g. 'contr' on one line then 'control' below.

Having looked at the HTML, I suspect that the problem may lie with the tag. There are one or two Edited Guide style problems too, but let's sort out that strange effect with the justification first!

Great

It's 'Rosinenbomber' rather than 'Rosinenbomben', and I think most of the aircraft actually did land in Berlin.

You could mention the monument which was built in honour of the airlift and the thousands of pilots and crew engaged with it. It's a two-piece monument, with one half of it erected in Berlin, and the other half in Frankfurt/Main. It symbolises the ends of a bridge but the way it has been designed it also could resemble a hand which tries to grab the goods from out of the air.

The Berliners called it the 'Hungerharke' (or 'hunger's rake') because it can also be seen this way.

Hi there,
Firstly,a very good entry, I'll leave the problems with the justification out of this as I'm sure they'll get sorted out.

However, I did find the first paragraph a little confusing, you start off by talking about sectors in Germany, go on to sectors in Berlin, then return to sectors in Germany. It's a little difficult at points to figure out if you're talking about Germany in general, or Berlin in Particular.

Could you divide this part of the intro into two distinct paragraphs?
One dealing with the division of Germany in general, followed by a second talking about the sub-division of Berlin.


whisky

Could we have some stats too, please? How many flights / tons / personell / casualties (I know there were some too )

I helped Lizzy with the GuideML, so sorry about the problem. I've looked it up and I think the command only works with some versions of Internet Explorer and Netscape, so I'll try and get Lizzy to sort it out.

Hi Whisky

I've rewritten the "Background" section 2 try & make it a bit e-zier 2 follow. Could u tell me if I've achieved my aim? If I've made a complete mess of it, I still have the original, so I can change it back.

Cheers, Lizzy

Hi Bossel

I had already included statistics regarding flights, but I have added ones about the supplies and the losses suffered. None of my sources give me any info about the personnel, but if u deem it absolutely necessary for it 2 b included, I suppose I could try and find out about it from the net or other such sources.

Lizzy

I'm no longer seeing any half-words, but I am now seeing half-letters at the end of every line in the introductory section (probably because of the italics). The last millimetre has been shaved off the text!

I'd do without justification if I were you. The whole of the Edited Guide gets by without it!

Hallo Again Bossel

Sorry, I thought that the second half of the word was "Bombe" (bomb) rather than "Bomber" (bomber). Hence the plural error...

Likewise with the info about personnel , I don't have any sources 2 hand about the memorial erected to commemorate the Berlin Airlift (although I have seen the half in Frankfurt out of an airplane window! ). If u really want it included in the entry, I can search 4 resources about it, so could u tell me if u think it's necessary or if it's fine without it?

Cheers, Lizzy

The only other way of justifying I could find was just as shaky , so I've deleted it entirely.

WS

Well, it's *your* entry and you decide what's in it . Anyway, I think some numbers are useful to get the proportions right (and remember, it was 1949)

USA: 189,963 flights; 1,783,573 metric tons
UK: 87,841 flights; 541,937 tons
France: 424 flights; 896 tons

Gatow airfield had aircraft landing every 4mins, Tempelhof every 5mins, (I didn't find numbers for Tegel) and even the lakes around Berlin were used by Sunderlands. (Today, Frankfurt/M is aiming at some 1.5min intervals with much more sophisticated air traffic control equipment!)

total: >278,228 flights; ~2.3 million tons

The cargo delivered per month started with some 70,000t in July 1948, and rose to 250,000t in May 1949. 66% of the cargo was coal, food amounted to some 24%.
The total mileage was ~124million, at a cost of ~$200,000,000.

A maximum was reached on April 11, 1949: 1,383 Flights and 12,899 tons

An average diet in Berlin was:
400g bread, 40g meat, 30g fat, 40g sugar, 400g dry food, 5g cheese, 50g other, total ~1kg per person.

personnel: 70,000 (pilots + ground/board crew, from USA, UK, Australia, France, Germany).
casualties:
30/1 US soldiers/civilian;
18 RAF pilots;
10 UK civilians;
7 German civilians

total 66.

You should perhaps mention the CARE packets as well. My parents are still getting watery eyes when they hear this word.

Thank you!

Thanks lizzy, it's a lot clearer like that,

Just one more point, in the second paragraph

"The creation of a French-occupied sector was approved later, in February 1945."

whoops?

whisky

As to the 19XX for the move of the 'capital' function:
the move began on Sep 1st,1999; the cabinet had its first session in Berlin on Mai 2nd,2001 (which is officially treated as the final step); but there will still be some shuffling around of offices, eg, when parts of the MoD are going to move from Bonn to Berlin in August.

Hmmm, yes, but in which yr did Berlin become Germany's offical capital? (i guess u'd know this being German! ).
Hope u don't mind me asking this,
Liz

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Peer Review' to 'The Berlin Airlift'.

This thread has been moved out of the Peer Review Forum because your entry has now been recommended for the Edited Guide.

You can find out what will happen to your entry here: http://www.h2g2.com/SubEditors-Process

Congratulations!

Well done Lizzy!

Congratulations! It is a great Entry, well worthy of a place in the Edited Guide!

I came across this facinating piece whilst trawlng for my recommendation and had recommend it for inclusion in the edited guide. I am very pleased that it has been included.

Hi Lizzy and all,

I just wanted to announce that I've been given this great article to subedit, and I've just finished the first round of subbing. The result is at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A638976, just in case you'd like to have a look. If you spot something that has to be corrected (read: if I've introduced errors instead of correcting them ) or if you have some general comments, please feel free to drop me a note.

SchrEck Inc.