LIST OF MILITARY OPERATIONS IN THE WEST EUROPEAN THEATER DURING WW2 BY YEAR

Contents

Western Front

1935 — 1938

''1939''

''1940''

''1941''

''1942''

''1943''

''1944''

''1945''

See Also

Western Front

1935 — 1938

★ ''Fall Rot'' ("Case Red") (1935) — overview of defense planning in tandem with ''Fall Blau''. Rot covered defense in the west in the event of military action in the east (Fall Blau).

★ ''Fall Blau'' ("Case Blue") (1935) — overview of defense planning in tandem with ''Fall Rot''.

★ ''Fall Otto'' ("Case Otto") (1937) — plan to occupy Austria.

★ ''Fall Richard'' ("Case Richard") (1937) — Contingency planning for soviet/communist takeover in Spain.

★ ''Fall Grün'' ("Case Green") (1938) — plan for invasion of Czechoslovakia.

''1939''

★ ''Fall Weiss'' ("Case White") (1939) — invasion of Poland

''1940''

★ ''Ariel'' (1940) — Allied retreat from France using ports between Cherbourg and the Spanish frontier.

★ ''Ambassador'' (1940) — commando raid on Guernsey

★ ''Attila'' (1940) — German seizure and occupation of Vichy France, without Italian support. See also ''Fall Anton'' ("Case Anton") and ''Lila''.

★ ''Cycle'' (1940) — British and Allied evacuation from Le Havre

★ ''Dynamo'' (1940) — British & Allied evacuation from Dunkirk.

★ ''Fall Gelb'' ("Case Yellow") (1939-40) — offensive against the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

★ ''Grunpfeil'' (1940) — invasion of British held Channel Islands.

★ ''Granit'' (Granite) (1940) — Fallschirmjäger capture of Fort Eben-Emael

★ ''Marine'' (1940) — Dropping of naval mines into the Rhine

★ ''Mondscheinsonate'' ("Moonlight Sonata") (1940) — Luftwaffe raid on Coventry

★ ''Fall Rot'' ("Case Red") (1939-40) — invasion of France and rout of British Expeditionary Force

★ ''Seelöwe'' ("Sealion") (1940) — planned invasion of Britain

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★ ''Adlerangriff'' ("Eagle Attack") — Axis effort to destroy the RAF prior to invasion. Preceded by attacks on shipping known as "Kanalkampf" (Channel Battle). Aerial battles during the period were later dubbed the Battle of Britain.

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★ ''Fall Grün'' ("Case Green") (1940) — planned invasion of Ireland as part of ''Seelöwe''

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★ ''Herbstreise'' ("Autumn Journey") — planned/diversionary invasion of Scotland as part of ''Seelöwe''.

★ ''Tannenbaum'' ("Christmas Tree") (1940) — planned invasion of Switzerland.

★ ''White Falcon'' (1940) — occupation of neutral Iceland.

''1941''

★ ''Operation 25'' (1941) — invasion of Yugoslavia.

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★ ''Strafe'' ("Punishment") (1941) — Bombing of Belgrade by Luftwaffe as part of ''Operation 25''

★ ''Barbarossa'' ("Red Beard" - nickname for Emperor Frederick I) (1941) — invasion of the Soviet Union

''1942''

★ ''Basalt'' (1942) — raid on Sark

★ ''Biting'' (1942) — commando raid on radar site in France

★ ''Bolero'' (1942) — build-up of US forces and matériel for ''Roundup''. Later utilized during ''Torch'' and ''Overlord''.

★ ''Zerberus'' — ("Cerberus") (1942) — break-out of German capital ships from Brest later dubbed the "Channel Dash".

★ ''Chariot'' (1942) — British raid on Saint Nazaire.

★ ''Clawhammer'' (1942) — planned commando raid on a radar site in France.

★ ''Fall Anton'' (1942) — German occupation of Vichy France: ''Attila'' renamed, with Italian support.

★ ''Frankton'' (1942) — commando raid on shipping in Bordeaux.

★ ''Jubilee'' (1942) — repelled invasion of Dieppe. See Also ''Operation Rutter''.

★ ''Lila'' (1942) — plan to capture French fleet at Toulon.

★ ''MAUS'' ("Mouse") (1942) — Major drive towards the Caucasus.

★ ''Millennium'' (1942) — British 1000 bomber raid on Cologne.

★ ''Plan W'' (1942) — planning between Allies and neutral Éire (Ireland) to deal with Fall Grün.

★ ''Roundup'' (1942) — plan to invade Europe in even of German or Soviet collapse. Later abandoned in favor of ''Torch'' landings. Planning for ''Roundup'' included;

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★ ''Sledgehammer'' (1942) — establishment of beachhead in Cherbourg or Brest.

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★ ''Roundhammer'' — revised planning for ''Roundup''.

''1943''

★ ''Bolero'' (1943/1944) — build-up of US forces and matériel in preparation for Allied invasion of France.

★ ''Chastise'' (1943) — bombing of Ruhr area dams popularly known as the "Dambuster" raid.

★ ''Corona'' (1943) — bombing raid on Kassel, Germany.

★ ''Constellation'' (1943) — one of several proposals to retake the Channel Islands;

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★ ''Condor'' (1943) — proposal to retake Jersey

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★ ''Concertina'' (1943) — proposal to retake Alderney

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★ ''Coverlet'' (1943) — proposal to retake Guernsey

★ ''Crossbow'' (1943/1944) — plan to destroy rocket production and launch sites. See Also ''Pointblank''.

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★ ''Hydra'' (1943) — bombing of Peenemünde rocket research center.

★ ''Double Strike'' (1943) — Bombing of Regensburg and Schweinfurt.

★ ''Project Habakkuk'' (1943) — project to construct an aircraft carrier from ice.

★ ''Pointblank'' (1943) — Umbrella for bombing offensive by USAAF and RAF in preparation for ''Overlord''.

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★ ''Gomorrah'' (1943) sequence of air raids on Hamburg.

''1944''

★ ''Avalanche'' (1944) — Allied invasion of Italy

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★ ''Baytown'' (1944) — Diversionry landings near the tip of Calabria.

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★ ''Boardman'' (1944) — deception to create false threat of invasion in Balkans.

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★ ''Giant II'' — cancelled landing of 82nd Airborne near Rome.

★ ''Chastity'' (1944) — unexecuted plan to retake port in Quiberon Bay, Brittany.

★ ''Clipper'' (1944) — Allied assault on Siegfried Line at Geilenkirchen.

★ ''Constellation'' (1944) — occupation of Venraij and Venlo by British VIII Corps.

★ ''Diver'' (1944) — Defence of London against V-1 attack.

★ ''Houndsmith'' (1944) — Special Air Service (SAS) action near Dijon.

★ ''Hurricane'' (1944) — Bombing of Ruhr. See Also ''Chastise''.

★ '' (1944) capture of Walcheren Island- final phase of the Battle of the Scheldt.

★ ''Jericho'' (1944) — air-raid on Amiens prison to release French Resistance prisoners

★ ''Lost'' (1944) — British raid on Brittany

★ ''Loyton'' (1944) — unsuccessful large SAS action in Vosges mountains.

★ ''Lüttich'' — German counter-offensive at Mortain.

★ ''Marine'' (1944) — Dropping of naval mines into the Rhine

★ ''Market Garden'' (1944) — Allied airborne attempt to cross the lower Rhine.

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★ ''Comet'' (1944) — early draft of ''Market Garden''

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★ ''Berlin'' (1944) — defeat and withdrawal of British 1st Airborne.

★ ''Nelson'' (1944) — cancelled SAS action in France.

★ ''Newton'' (1944) — Free French SAS action in Burgundy, France

★ ''Overlord'' (1944) — invasion of Normandy, France. See Also ''Pointblank''.

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★ ''Aberlour'' (1944) — .

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★ ''Astonia'' (1944) — assault on Le Havre

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★ ''Bluecoat'' (1944) — advance to River Vire

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★ ''Bodyguard'' — deception plan, including:

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★ ''Ferdinand'' (1944) —

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★ ''Skye''

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★ ''Fortitude'' (1944) — two deception operations to mislead over location of landings

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★ ''Glimmer'' (1944) — feint towards Pas de Calais

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★ ''Hambone'' (1944) — also known as ''Copperhead''

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★ ''Jael''

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★ ''Quicksilver''

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★ ''Zeppelin'' (1944) — deception plan to depict an amphibious landing on Crete, western Greece, or the Romanian Black Sea coast

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★ ''Charnwood'' (1944) — assault on Caen.

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★ ''Chicago'' — Allied airdrop

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★ ''Cobra'' (1944) — breakout from Normandy.

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★ ''Dunhill'' (1944) — SAS action in support of ''Cobra''.

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★ ''Cooney'' (1944) — Free French SAS action in St Malo area.

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★ ''Dauntless'' (1944) — British XXX Corps.

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★ ''Defoe'' (1944) — SAS action in Normandy

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★ ''Detroit'' — American airdrop in Normandy

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★ ''Dingson'' — Free French commando raid

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★ ''Epsom'' (1944) — British assault west of Caen, Normandy

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★ ''Goodwood'' (1944) — British breakout attempt from Normandy

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★ ''Atlantic'' (1944) — Supporting operation for ''Goodwood''

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★ ''Pomegranate'' (1944} — preparation for ''Goodwood''

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★ ''Greenline'' (1944) — XXX & XXI British corps

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★ ''Jupiter'' — British attack to occupy and hold Hill 112, near Caen

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★ ''Kitten'' (1944) — British and Canadian advance to the Seine.

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★ ''Mulberry'' (1944) — creation of safe anchorages using block ships

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★ ''Neptune'' — landing phase of ''Overlord''

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★ ''Accumulator'' (1944) — diversionary naval operation near to the Channel Islands

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★ ''Bravado'' (1944) — mine-laying around Kiel Canal to inhibit German naval reaction

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★ ''Gambit'' (1944) — use of X-Craft midget submarines as navigation beacons off ''Sword'' and ''Juno'' beaches

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★ ''Maple'' — Allied naval minelaying operations to inhibit German naval reaction

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★ ''Paddle'' (1944) — Canadian pursuit of German forces

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★ ''Pirate'' (1944) — Anglo-Canadian training exercise prior to D-Day, at Studland Bay, England

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★ ''Pluto'' (1944) — construction of undersea oil pipelines between England and France

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★ ''Postage Able'' (1944) — landing beach surveys using X-Craft and divers

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★ ''Spring'' — Canadian attack on high ground, south of Caen

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★ ''Sussex'' — insertion of French OSS operatives into France to report German troop movements

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★ ''Tiger'' (1944) — Allied training exercise prior to D-Day, near Slapton, England

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★ ''Tonga'' — British airdrop in Normandy, east of the Orne River

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★ ''Totalise'' (1944) — Allied effort to trap German armour in Normandy

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★ ''Tractable'' (1944) — continuation of Totalise to close the Falaise pocket

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★ ''Trousers'' (1944) — Anglo-Canadian training exercise prior to D-Day, near Slapton, England

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★ ''Windsor'' (1944) — .

★ ''Pegasus'' (1944) — Allied rescue of troops after failure of ''Market Garden''

★ ''Queen'' (1944) — aerial close-support operation in Hurtgen Forest, east of Aachen

★ ''Shingle'' (1944) — Allied invasion of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy.

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★ ''Chettyford'' (1944) — deception in support of invasion.

★ ''Switchback'' (1944) taking of Breskens pocket, first phase of the Battle of the Scheldt.

★ ''Vitality'' (1944) taking of South Beveland, second phase of the Battle of the Scheldt.

★ ''Wacht am Rhein'' ("Watch on the Rhine") (1944) — counteroffensive in the Ardennes

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★ ''Greif'' ("Grab") (1944) — infiltration using troops disguised in Allied uniforms.

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★ ''Stösser'' (1944) — airborne drop in support of the ''Wacht am Rhein''.

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★ ''Bodenplatte'' ("Baseplate") (1945) — Luftwaffe support raids on Allied airbases. Re-scheduled to 1 January 1945.

''1945''

★ ''Amherst'' (1945) — airborne raid in the Netherlands

★ ''Blackcock'' (1945) — clearance of the Roer Triangle by the British 2nd Army

★ ''Goldflake'' (1945) — Canadian 1st Corps moves from Italy to northwest Europe under command of Canadian First Army

★ ''Grenade'' (1945) — US Ninth Army crossing of the Roer (see also Veritable)

★ ''Nordwind'' ("North Wind") (1945) — attempt to open a second front in Alsace

★ ''Plunder'' (1945) — 21st Army Group crossing of the Rhine

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★ ''Archway'' — SAS operation to support ''Plunder''

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★ ''Varsity'' — airborne crossing in conjunction with ''Plunder''

★ ''Schneeman'' (1945) — German attempt to open a second front in Netherlands.

★ ''Veritable'' (1945) — Canadian First Army's crossing of the Roer (see also Grenade)

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★ ''Blockbuster'' (1945) — Canadian First Army's advance through the Hochswald to the Rhine

See Also

List of World War II military operations