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This is a list of knownWorld War II era codenames formilitary operations and missions commonly associated with World War II. As of 2022[update] this is not a comprehensive list, but most major operations that Axis and Allied combatants engaged in are included, and also operations that involved neutral nation states. Operations are categorised according to the theater of operations, and an attempt has been made to cover all aspects of significant events. Operations contained in the Western Front category have been listed by year. Operations that follow the cessation of hostilities and those that occurred in the pre-war period are also included. Operations are listed alphabetically, and where multiple aspects are involved these are listed inline.
Flags used are those of the time period.
Excludes North African campaigns
– Anglo-Indian capture ofAssab – FAA attack onMassawa
– Allied landings onMadagascar – ground campaign onMadagascar
– seaborneFree French and British attack onDakar,French West Africa (Senegal) –SOE operation to capture three Axis vessels in theneutral Spanish island ofFernando Po – Allied anti-submarine naval patrol offMadagascarIncludes North Sea and Arctic Ocean operations and actions against naval vessels in harbour
– Allied naval patrols aroundAzores
– Atlantic cruise ofScharnhorst andGneisenau – finalRAF air attack onTirpitz – escape of German capital ships fromBrest to home ports inGermany (Channel Dash) – Allied anti-shipping off Norway – British anti-shipping operation off Norway – postwar scuttling ofU-boats – first of the Arctic Convoys to the Soviet Union – second aborted Arctic sortie byScharnhorst,Prinz Eugen and destroyers – German anti-shipping operation offNovaya Zemlya byAdmiral Scheer andAdmiral Hipper – aborted attack onHome Fleet atScapa Flow, usingMistel composite aircraft – part of "Second Happy Time" (Paukenschlag) – British anti-shipping operation off Norway – British anti-submarine air offensive inBay of Biscay (alsoEnclose II) – British anti-shipping operation off Norway – first aborted Arctic sortie byScharnhorst,Prinz Eugen and destroyers – sequence of 4 carrier-borne air attacks onTirpitz – British special naval transport toMurmansk – cancelled German anti-shipping operation inKara Sea byLutzow
– antishipping operation off Norway byUSSRanger – attempt to destroy German invasion barges – failed carrier-borne air attack onTirpitz – first Atlantic operation ofAdmiral Hipper – RAF air attack onTirpitz – final operation ofScharnhorst to intercept convoy JW 55B – third and successful transfer ofScharnhorst and destroyers to Norway – RAF air attack onTirpitz ("Drumbeat", "Beat of the Kettle Drum", "Second happy time") (1942) – German U-boat campaign against shipping off theUnited States east coast – cancelled carrier-borne air attacks on theTirpitz – British naval air attack on shipping off Norway – Allied anti-shipping patrol off Norway – capture ofU-110'sEnigma cypher machine and documents byHMSBulldogGermany – failed German attack on Arctic convoy JW 51B, byAdmiral Hipper andLutzowGermany – planned German attacks on Allied shipping conducted byBismarck andPrinz Eugen – German naval operation (includingTirpitz) to attackArctic convoyPQ 17 – British convoy escort toMurmansk – BritishX class submarine (midget submarine) attacks on German warships based in Norway – aborted German naval operation (includingTirpitz) to attack Arctic convoys PQ-12 and QP-8 – return of damagedPrinz Eugen from Trondheim to Germany
– Allied operation to intercept blockade runners in theBay of Biscay – anti U-boat operation – carrier-borne air attack onTirpitz – standard British plan to intercept German blockade runners – foray by German destroyers into theNorth Sea – German anti-shipping operation inKara Sea byAdmiral Scheer – German mining action offNovaya Zemlya byAdmiral Hipper and destroyers
– Japanese campaign in five provinces of northeastern China to crush the Chinese resistance following theHundred Regiments Offensive – Japanese campaign in eastern China to secure overland routes toIndo-China and airfields
– improvement of the defences ofKunming against Japanese threats – establishment of bases for USB-29 bomber aircraftIncludes operations in Iraq, Syria, Iran, India, Burma, Malaya and Indo-China, and the Indian Ocean
– proposed strategy to retakeBurma and reopen theland route to China
– Possibly Fictional German special forces operation in India, includingFree India Legion personnel – photographic reconnaissance of southern Malaya and airstrikes against Sumatran airfields
– defensive scheme forMandalay andMeiktila – anti-shipping raid againstRamree harbour area – raid against German ships interned in neutral port ofGoa. air raid onPalembang – major Japanese naval incursion into Indian Ocean –search and destroy operation for German supply tanker – Allied capture of northernBurma
– Allied naval airstrike onSabang,Sumatra
– American and Filipino campaign to defeat and expel the Imperial Japanese forces occupying thePhilippines. – naval airstrikes against theNicobar Islands and air cover for minesweeping forces nearPhuket Island – anti-shipping raid againstGwa area
– Allied invasion of neutralIran – Allied naval airstrike and bombardment ofSabang,Sumatra – proposed allied invasion of northernSumatra – naval bombardment of coast nearIndin – British amphibious assault onRangoon,Burma. – covering operation forDracula – Allied exercise in preparation for joint operations against the Japanese – British search and destroy operation for Japanese cruiserHaguro – British and Commonwealth invasion ofVichy French-heldSyria – cutting ofsubmarine telephone cables offHong Kong – proposal to establish sabotage teams in Iran – Japanese action to isolate and destroy Anglo-Indian forces in Burma – Anglo-Australian attack on Japanese shipping inSingapore harbour – British move intoThailand to pre-empt expected Japanese action – naval air attack on refineries onSumatra – naval air strikes on northern Malaya and air cover for minesweeping operations –Chindits advance intoBurma – Planned British pre-emptive move intoSiam fromMalaya – British occupation ofRamree Island – naval air attacks on installations onSumatra – convoying of Australian troops fromSuez to Australia – planned air attack on Soviet oil installations atBaku – aborted anti-shipping raid againstKyaukpyu harbour – naval patrol of coast nearGwa – anti-shipping raid by special forces on Japanese shipping inSingapore harbour – British and Commonwealth invasion of theKingdom of Iraq to restore governmentousted byRashid Ali; including; –21 Brigade advance fromBasra by boat up theTigris. – "Euphrates Brigade" (20 Indian Brigade) deployment from Basra toKut bysteamer andbarge. – cutting ofsubmarine communications cable offSaigon – landings byRoyal Marines onCheduba Island – combined operations raid against a Japanese headquarters atSitaparokia Rock – anti-shipping sweep north ofGwa – failed attempt to establish bases in Iraq – pursuit of German commerce raider in Indian Ocean – destruction ofIJNcruiserTakao inSingapore harbour, usingmidget submarines – Anglo-Indian capture ofAkyab island and construction of supply airbase in support ofBurma campaign – landings onAkyab island –Chindits operation inBurma – Allied naval air raid onSurabaya,Java – Anglo-Indian landings and capture ofTaungup – Japanese assault onImphal andKohima Planned British seaborne landing in Malaya. deception operation forZipper Planned offensive to northern Malaya following Operation Zipper. Planned offensive to liberate southern Malaya and Singapore following Operation Zipper. – German plan to withdraw from northern Finland prior to theLapland War. – German evacuation from Norway.[1] – German operation to relieve troops inNarvik,Norway.
– Finnish plan to destroy railroad tracks to deny the Soviets their supplies. – activities inGreenland. – planned German invasion ofIceland in response to BritishOperation Fork. – German naval operation to disturb allied supplies toNorway. – Finnish naval operation for the militarization of theÅland islands. – Proposed combined German and Finnish attack againstKandalaksha andBelomorsk. – German withdrawal from theKola Peninsula into Norway. – German and Finnish operations in the Arctic, including: – Staging of German forces from Germany to northern Finland. – Staging of German forces from Norway to northern Finland. – Joint German-Finnish attack towardsMurmansk from FinnishPetsamo. – Joint German-Finnish attack towardsKandalaksha from FinnishLapland. – German occupation ofPetsamo. – German raid upon allied occupiedSpitsbergen (Svalbard). – failed German attempt to captureSuursaari from Finland. – planned German attempt to captureÅland from Finland. – German invasion ofDenmark andNorway. – German invasion ofTrondheim andNarvik. – German invasion ofBergen,Kristiansand andOslo. – German raid against a Norwegian/British station onSvalbard. evacuation of British troops fromNorway – British commando raid onVågsøy, Norway – raid on German positions onLofoten Islands, Norway – Reallocation of RAF training aircraft – RAF bombing of theGestapo headquarters inCopenhagen,Denmark British plan to gain control ofBaltic Sea – British raid onLofoten Islands, Norway) – attempted raid on a Norwegianheavy water plant atVemork, seeGunnerside
– Norwegian guide party forFreshman – 2nd raid on the Norwegianheavy water plant atVemork – Invasion of Iceland by British. – raid onSpitsbergen – cancelled SAS raid to destroy railway bridge nearTrondheim – Naval operation that led to theaction of 28 January 1945 – suggested invasion ofNorway – British/ Norwegian destruction of a power station inNorway – Planned British landing atÅlesund,Norway – Planned British invasion ofNorway – British response to German Operation Sizilien – British plan to mine theNorwegian coast
– Swedish plan to liberate Denmark before the country was occupied by the Soviet Union (cancelled because of German surrender) – Swedish landings onZealand – Swedish landings onBornholm – transfer of technical plans andstrategic materials to Japan, usingU-864. – German programme to develop composite aircraft (Mistel) – German programme to develop submarine-launchedV-2 – Allied efforts to gather data on German nuclear fission developments. – US sweep up of German atomic assets ahead of French occupation. – Eavesdropping on incarcerated German scientists. The use ofB-17 bombers as radio-controlled missiles. – launches of capturedV-2 rockets. –Radar research by US Navy. – US actions to capture German scientific documents, facilities and aircraft. – program to build anatomic bomb.
– transfer of capturedV-2 components from occupied Poland to Britain. Also known as Wildhorn III. – capture of scientists, technical and German rocketry. Originally Operation Overcast sometimes calledProject Paperclip. – Similar toPaperclip; program to exploit German aeronautical scientific advances. transfer of Finnish SIGINT, equipment, and personnel to Sweden following end of theContinuation war in 1944. – seizure of intelligence apparatus, in particular cryptographic assets. See alsoStella Polaris.
– SOE, OSS, and Free French-Belgian-Dutch exiles parachuted into France, the Netherlands and Belgium to perform guerrilla warfare.Includes some operations by regular forces in support ofpartisans
– assassination ofReinhard Heydrich inPrague. – a series of local uprisings by thePolishHome Army – battle for Wilno (Vilnius) –SAS operation nearTurin to train and organiseItalian resistance fighters. – US airdrops to several nationalResistance forces – a series of assassinations ofNazi personnel by theHome Army – assassination ofFranz Bürkl – assassination ofLudwig Fischer – assassination ofFranz Kutschera –FFI action to establish base inVercors Massif – airborne supply operation toFFI inVercors Massif – airdrop intoVercors Massif of liaison teams – airborne supply operation toFFI inVercors Massif –Free French attack the transformer station atPessac –Free French attempt to ambush and killLuftwaffe pathfinder pilots in France – action of theHome Army against German border guarding stations – action of the PolishZwiązek Odwetu against German railway transport – series of operations of the Polish resistance against the Germans— German plan to damage British economy using forged British banknotes. – landings of German agents on the US east coast with objective of gathering intelligence onManhattan Project – German intelligence collection inSpitzbergen,Norway – insertion of German agents into Britain. See alsoHummer I – airdrop of agents nearMarseille – plan sent by theIrish Republican Army (IRA) to Germany seeking support for activities. Dubbed "Artus" by German Foreign Ministry. SeeIRA Abwehr World War II for all IRA Abwehr involvement. – airdrop of agents nearBrussels andWaal – air drop of agents and supplies near Mosul – separate landings of German agents on the US east coast with objective of industrial sabotage. – airdrop of agents near Paris – insertion of German agents into the British-occupiedKingdom of Egypt – insertion of German agents into Britain and Ireland. See alsoSeagull I andSeagull II. – mission to transport IRA Chief of StaffSeán Russell from Germany back to Ireland. – aborted German plan to foster links with Scottish and Welsh nationalist groups. – aborted German plan to land an agent in Ireland. – insertion of propaganda into the German mail system. – secure speech system for highest-level Allied communications. – SIGINT resulting from Japanese cipher systemPURPLE. –Admiralty plan ofIan Fleming to capture anEnigmaencryption machine. – intelligence sharing resulting from spying on Soviets. –SIGINT resulting from German cipher systemEnigma. –OSS team parachuted into JapaneseManchukuo to rescue Allied POWs includingGeneral Wainwright[2][3] – plan for Nazi national Redoubt in Alps. – guerrilla force to resist occupation by Allies. – demolition of defences ofHeligoland – Churchill's flight to Cairo and Moscow. – Royal Navy actions to seize, disable or destroy the French fleet after France's surrender. – Proposed Allied plan for the invasion of Japan.
– negotiations leading to German surrender in Italy. – German rescue from custody ofBenito Mussolini – forced repatriation to the Soviet Union, by the western Allies, of Soviet prisoners of war – American post-war operation to transport US military personnel home – German occupation of Hungary.Döme Sztójay, an avid supporter of the Nazis, became the new Hungarian Prime Minister with the aid of a Nazi military governor. – Kidnap of Hungarian leaderMiklós Horthy's son to prevent defection of Hungary from Axis. – removal of Polish warships to Britain, in advance of German invasion – evacuation of children from British cities. – Plan to kidnap the Pope and diplomatic corp. fromVatican City. – rescinded order to scuttle Kriegsmarine. – German attempt to captureJosip Broz Tito – Churchill's flight to Casablanca. – British Antarctic expedition. – Plan to deal with general breakdown of civil order within Germany following the death of Hitler and the seizure of power by other Nazi officials or the SS; a cover for clandestine action by theGerman resistance. –Polish naval defence of the Polish coast – Global US War planning between the World Wars. – Afalse flagSS andSD operation. Attacks were made against German buildings, near the Polish-German border, to create the appearance of Polish aggression against Germany. This was to then be used as propaganda to justify the German invasion of Poland. – Phase I of the "Final Solution" targetingJews across Europe. – plan to exterminate Polishintelligentsia involvingEinsatzgruppen. Operation to murder members of the intelligentia at universities in Kraków. plan forethnic cleansing across Europe. See AlsoBarbarossa.
