List of military operations in the West European Theater during World War II by year

Western Front

• purely naval operations in the adjoining waters
• operations in Scandinavia, Iceland and Greenland
• operations in the Mediterranean and Italy.

  ''1935–1938''

• Fall Rot — 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 — overview of defense planning in tandem with Fall Rot.
• Fall Otto — plan to occupy Austria.
• Fall Richard — Contingency planning for Soviet/communist takeover in Spain.
• Fall Grün — plan for invasion of Czechoslovakia.

  ''1939''

• Fall Weiss — invasion of Poland

  ''1940''

• Ariel — Allied retreat from France using ports between Cherbourg and the Spanish frontier.
• Ambassador — commando raid on Guernsey
• Attila — German seizure and occupation of Vichy France, without Italian support. See also Fall Anton and Lila.
• Cycle — British and Allied evacuation from Le Havre
• Dynamo — British & Allied evacuation from Dunkirk.
• Fall Gelb — offensive against the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
• Fall Rot — invasion of France and rout of British Expeditionary Force
• Grunpfeil — invasion of British held Channel Islands.
• Granit — Fallschirmjäger capture of Fort Eben-Emael
• Mondscheinsonate — Luftwaffe raid on Coventry
• Royal Marine — Dropping of naval mines into the Rhine
• Seelöwe — planned invasion of Britain
• * Adlerangriff — Axis effort to destroy the RAF prior to invasion. Preceded by attacks on shipping known as "Kanalkampf". Aerial battles during the period were later dubbed the Battle of Britain.
• * Fall Grün — planned invasion of Ireland as part of Seelöwe
• * Herbstreise — planned/diversionary invasion of Scotland as part of Seelöwe.
• Tannenbaum — planned invasion of Switzerland.
• XD — a series of demolition operations to prevent capture of oil installations and stocks by the Germans

  ''1941''

• Chess — commando raid on Ambleteuse, Pas-de-Calais, France
• Colossus — Feb. 10, commando raid on Tragino aqueduct near Calitri, Italy.

  ''1942''

• Aflame — commando raid on Berck in France
• Aquatint — commando raid on Normandy in France
• Barricade — commando raid on Pointe de Saire south of Barfleur in France
• Basalt — commando raid on Sark in the Channel islands
• Batman — commando raid near Cherbourg in France
• Biting — commando raid on Bruneval radar site in France
• Bolero — build-up of US forces and matériel for Roundup. Later utilized during Torch and Overlord.
• Branford — commando raid on Burhou in the Channel islands
• Zerberus — — break-out of German capital ships from Brest later dubbed the "Channel Dash".
• Chariot — British raid on Saint Nazaire.
• Clawhammer — planned commando raid on a radar site in France.
• Dryad — commando raid on Casquets lighthouse in the Channel islands
• Fahrenheit — commando raid at Pointe de Plouezec on the north Brittany coast
• Fall Anton — German occupation of Vichy France: Attila renamed, with Italian support.
• Frankton — commando raid on shipping in Bordeaux.
• Jubilee — repelled raid on Dieppe. See Also Operation Rutter.
• * Abercrombie — raid on Hardelot in preparation for Jubilee.
• * Cauldron — raid on Varengeville in support of Jubilee.
• Lila — plan to capture French fleet at Toulon.
• Millennium — British 1000 bomber raid on Cologne.
• Outward ; free balloon attacks on Germany.
• Roundup — plan to invade Europe in event of German or Soviet collapse. Later abandoned in favor of Torch landings. Planning for Roundup included;
• * Sledgehammer — establishment of beachhead in Cherbourg or Brest.
• * Roundhammer — revised planning for Roundup.
• Sickle — build-up of US air forces in UK
• Plan W — planning between Allies and neutral Éire to deal with Fall Grün.

  ''1943''

• Bellicose — British bombing mission against Friedrichshafen and La Spezia.
• Bolero — build-up of US forces and matériel in preparation for Allied invasion of France.
• Chastise — bombing of Ruhr area dams popularly known as the "Dambusters" raid.
• Corona — bombing raid on Kassel, Germany.
• Constellation — one of several proposals to retake the Channel Islands;
• * Condor — proposal to retake Jersey
• * Concertina — proposal to retake Alderney
• * Coverlet — proposal to retake Guernsey
• Crossbow — plan to destroy rocket production and launch sites. See Also Pointblank.
• * Hydra — bombing of Peenemünde rocket research center.
• Double Strike — Bombing of Regensburg and Schweinfurt.
• Operation Huckaback — commando raid on Herm in the Channel Islands
• Project Habakkuk — project to construct an aircraft carrier from ice.
• Pointblank — Umbrella for bombing offensive by USAAF and RAF in preparation for Overlord.
• * Gomorrah — sequence of air raids on Hamburg.
• Rankin — planned liberation of the Channel Islands

  ''1944''

• Abel — harassment of German retreat in France
• Astonia — assault on Le Havre
• Axehead — proposed assault crossing of the lower Seine and capture of Le Havre and Rouen
• Benson — reconnaissance mission by Belgian SAS near Amiens
• Bergbang — unsuccessful mission by Belgian SAS east of River Meuse
• Brutus — mission by Belgian SAS in Ardennes to arm local resistance and reinforce SAS forces
• Bulbasket — SAS operation to prevent German reinforcements moving from southern France to Normandy
• Bunyan — disruption mission by Belgian SAS in Chartres area
• Caliban — mission by Belgian SAS near Leopoldsburg to disrupt German communications
• Chaucer — Belgian SAS operation near Le Mans to harry German retreat
• Clipper — Allied assault on Siegfried Line at Geilenkirchen.
• Constellation — occupation of Venray and Venlo by British VIII Corps.
• * Aintree — occupation of Overloon and Venray by British 3rd Infantry Division.
• Cooney — French SAS operation in Brittany to cut railway lines
• Derry — SAS operation near Le Mans to disrupt German retreat to Brest
• Diver — Defence of London against V-1 attack.
• Fabian — Belgian SAS reconnaissance operation around Arnhem
• Franklin — French SAS operation in the Ardennes in support of the US VIII Corps
• Fusilade — capture of Dieppe
• Gaff — SAS operation near Rambouillet to kill or capture Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, but which instead destroyed trains and attacked a German headquarters
• Gain — SAS successful SAS operation southwest of Paris to disrupt enemy communications
• Gatwick — precursor of Operation Veritable
• Gobbo — Belgian SAS intelligence gathering operation in northern Holland, near Drente
• Haft — Special Air Service intelligence gathering mission near Le Mans.
• Haggard — SAS operation near Bourges
• Hardy — SAS information gathering operation near Dijon
• Harrod — French SAS operation in the Saone et Loire in support of the US 3rd Army
• Houndsmith — Special Air Service action near Dijon.
• Houndsworth — Special Air Service campaign in and around Morvan.
• Hurricane — Bombing of Ruhr. See Also Chastise.
• Independence — clearance of German garrisons on the Gironde estuary
• capture of Walcheren Island — final phase of the Battle of the Scheldt.
• Jedburgh — Airdrop of operatives into France, Belgium and the Netherlands to conduct sabotage and guerrilla warfare, and to lead the local resistance forces in actions against the Germans.
• Jericho — air-raid on Amiens prison to release French Resistance prisoners
• Jockworth — French SAS operation near Lyons to impede German movements and bolster local Resistance; became active in the fighting in Lyons
• Kipling — British SAS action near Auxerre to aid Allied airborne landings in Orleans Gap; these were cancelled and the SAS harassed the enemy in support of allied ground advance
• Loyton — unsuccessful large SAS action in Vosges mountains.
• Lüttich — German counter-offensive at Mortain.
• Marine — Dropping of naval mines into the Rhine
• Market Garden — Allied land and airborne attempt to cross the lower Rhine.
• * Comet — early draft of Market Garden
• * Berlin — withdrawal of British 1st Airborne.
• Marshall — French SAS mission to harass enemy and stiffen local resistance around Correze
• Moses — Free French SAS action around Poitiers
• Newton — Free French SAS action in Burgundy, France
• Noah — response to blowing of river dykes near Nijmegen and consequential flooding
• Olive — offensive against the Gothic Line.
• Overlord — invasion of Normandy, France. See also Pointblank.
• * Aberlour — cancelled follow-up to Mitten.
• * Astonia — assault on Le Havre
• * Bluecoat — Launched to support Operation Cobra
• * Bodyguard — deception plan, including:
• ** Fortitude —
• *** Skye
• ** Fortitude — two deception operations to mislead over location of landings
• ** Glimmer — feint towards Pas-de-Calais
• ** Hambone — also known as Copperhead
• ** Jael
• ** Quicksilver
• ** Zeppelin — deception plan to depict an amphibious landing on Crete, western Greece, or the Romanian Black Sea coast
• * Charnwood — assault on Caen.
• * Chicago — Allied airdrop
• * Cobra — breakout from Normandy.
• ** Dunhill — SAS reconnaissance action in support of Cobra.
• * Cooney — Free French SAS action in St Malo area.
• * Dauntless — See Operation Martlet
• * Defoe — ineffective SAS reconnaissance around Argentan in Normandy
• * Detroit — American airdrop in Normandy
• * Dingson — Free French SAS operation around Vannes to disrupt communications and arm local Resistance
• ** Lost — French SAS team in Brittany to link with Dingson
• * Epsom — British assault west of Caen, Normandy, aimed at capturing the city
• ** Martlet — Supporting operation launched the day before Operation Epsom
• * Goodwood — British armoured assault to capture the Bourguébus Ridge, destroy German armoured reserves and support Operation Atlantic
• ** Atlantic — Operation to capture the remaining sections of the German-occupied city of Caen. Launched side by side with Operation Goodwood
• ** Greenline — diversionary attack by XII Corps designed to draw German attention away from the upcoming assault, out of the Orne bridgehead, codenamed Goodwood.
• ** Pomegranate — diversionary attack by XXX Corps designed to draw German attention away from the upcoming assault, out of the Orne bridgehead, codenamed Goodwood.
• * Grouse — advance towards Tinchebray.
• * Jupiter — British attack to occupy and hold Hill 112, near Caen
• * Kitten — British and Canadian advance to the Seine.
• * Mulberry — creation of safe anchorages using block ships
• * Neptune — landing phase of Overlord
• ** Accumulator — diversionary naval operation near to the Channel Islands
• ** Bravado — mine-laying around Kiel Canal to inhibit German naval reaction
• ** Gambit — use of X-Craft midget submarines as navigation beacons off Sword and Juno beaches
• ** Maple — Allied naval minelaying operations to inhibit German naval reaction
• * Mitten — elimination of German position at Chateau de la Ronde
• * Paddle — Canadian pursuit of German forces
• * Pirate — Anglo-Canadian training exercise prior to D-Day, at Studland Bay, England
• * Pluto — construction of undersea oil pipelines between England and France
• * Postage Able — landing beach surveys using X-Craft and divers
• * Smash — British training exercise prior to D-Day, at Studland Bay, Dorset, England
• * Spring — Canadian attack on high ground, south of Caen
• * Sussex — insertion of French OSS operatives into France to report German troop movements
• * Tiger — Allied training exercise prior to D-Day, near Slapton, England
• * Tonga — British airdrop in Normandy, east of the Orne River
• * Totalize — Allied advance to capture highground north of the city of Falaise
• * Tractable — Attack to capture the city of Falaise, and to help close the Falaise pocket
• * Trousers — Anglo-Canadian training exercise prior to D-Day, near Slapton, England
• * Walter — tidy-up operation, using two brigades.
• * Wallop — advance towards Tinchebray.
• * Windsor — capture of Carpiquet.
• Dickens — highly successful French SAS operation around Nantes to disrupt rail lines, gather intelligence and support local Resistance
• Pegasus — Allied rescue of troops after failure of Market Garden
• Queen — aerial close-support operation in Hurtgen Forest, east of Aachen
• Switchback taking of Breskens pocket, first phase of the Battle of the Scheldt.
• Totter combined ROC and RAF anti V-1 efforts
• Undergo — assault on Calais
• Vitality taking of South Beveland, second phase of the Battle of the Scheldt.
• Wacht am Rhein — counteroffensive in the Ardennes
• * Greif — infiltration using troops disguised in Allied uniforms.
• * Stösser — airborne drop in support of the Wacht am Rhein.
• * Bodenplatte — Luftwaffe support raids on Allied airbases. Rescheduled to 1 January 1945.
• Wellhit — assault on Boulogne

  ''1945''

• Amherst — French airborne SAS raid in north-east Netherlands
• Anger — cross the Neder Rijn and capture Arnhem
• Barker — French SAS operation to protect exposed right flank of US 3rd Army
• Blackcock — clearance of the Roer Triangle by the British 2nd Army
• Bremen — occupation of Bremen
• Cannonshot — crossing the IJssel
• Cleanser — advance to the IJsselmeer
• Crosskeys — the establishment of allied coastal and minesweeping forces in Danish waters
• Destroyer — clearing the "Island"
• Eclipse — occupation of north German ports
• Exodus — repatriation of POWs
• Goldflake — Canadian 1st Corps moves from Italy to northwest Europe under command of Canadian First Army
• Grenade — US Ninth Army advance from the Roer
• Howard — Special Air Service reconnaissance operation ahead of Canadian 4th Armoured Division advance towards Oldenburg
• Keystone — Special Air Service mission to capture bridges over Apeldoorn canal and harass the enemy south of IJsselmeer
• Larkswood — Belgian SAS reconnaissance operation ahead of Canadian and Polish units in Holland and Germany
• Manna and Chowhound — Food droppings in Holland to relieve the Dutch famine.
• Nestegg — reoccupation of the Channel Islands
• Nordwind — attempt to open a second front in Alsace
• Placket — delivery by sea of essential supplies to Dutch civilians
• Plunder — 21st Army Group crossing of the Rhine
• * Archway — SAS operation to support Plunder and the subsequent advance to Kiel
• * Varsity — airborne crossing in conjunction with Plunder
• Schneeman — German attempt to open a second front in Netherlands.
• Valediction — original plan for Canadian First Army's advance through the Klever Reichswald to Xanten, delayed then renamed Veritable
• Venerable — clearance of German garrisons on the Gironde estuary
• * Jupiter — assault on Île d'Oléron
• Veritable — Canadian First Army's advance through the Klever Reichswald to Xanten co-ordinated with Grenade
• * Blockbuster — final phases of Veritable'
• * Heather — reinforcement of XXX Corps by British 3rd Infantry Division
• * Ventilate'' — cancelled assault crossing of the Maas by British 3rd Infantry Division