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

Western Front Includes land and sea operations relating to north-west Europe, but excludes: purely naval operations in the adjoining waters (see: List of World War II military operations - Atlantic Ocean) operations in Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden), Iceland and Greenland (see: Military operations in Scandinavia and Iceland during World War II) operations in the Mediterranean and Italy (see: World War II operations in the Mediterranean region).

1935–1938 Fall Rot ("Case Red") (1935) — overview of defense planning in tandem with Fall Blau. Rot covered defence 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 Aerial (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. Fall Rot ("Case Red") (1939–40) — an invasion of France and rout of British Expeditionary Force Grünpfeil (Green Arrow) (1940) — invasion of British held Channel Islands (1940) Granit (Granite) (1940) — Fallschirmjäger capture of Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium Mondscheinsonate ("Moonlight Sonata") (1940) — Luftwaffe raid on Coventry Royal Marine (1940) — Dropping of naval mines into the Rhine (originally Operation Marine) Seelöwe ("Sealion") (1940) — planned invasion of Britain 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. Fall Grün ("Case Green") (1940) — planned invasion of Ireland as part of Seelöwe Herbstreise ("Autumn Journey") — planned/diversionary invasion of Scotland as part of Seelöwe. Tannenbaum ("Christmas Tree") (1940) — planned invasion of Switzerland. XD (1940) — a series of demolition operations to prevent the capture of oil installations and stocks by the Germans

1941 Chess (1941) — commando raid on Ambleteuse, Pas-de-Calais, France Colossus (1941) — Feb. 10, commando raid on Tragino aqueduct near Calitri, Italy.

1942 Aflame (1942) — commando raid on Berck in France Aquatint (1942) — commando raid on Normandy in France Barricade (1942) — commando raid on Pointe de Saire south of Barfleur in France Basalt (1942) — commando raid on Sark in the Channel Islands Batman (1942) — commando raid near Cherbourg in France Biting (1942) — commando raid on Bruneval radar site in France Bolero (1942) — build-up of US forces and matériel for Roundup. Later utilized during Torch and Overlord. Branford (1942) — commando raid on Burhou in the Channel Islands Zerberus — ("Cerberus") (1942) — break-out of German capital ships from Brest later dubbed the "Channel Dash". Chariot (1942) — British raid on Saint Nazaire. Dryad (1942) — commando raid on Casquets lighthouse in the Channel Islands Fahrenheit (1942) — commando raid at Pointe de Plouezec on the north Brittany coast Fall Anton (1942) — German occupation of Vichy France: Attila renamed, with Italian support. Frankton (1942) — commando raid on shipping in Bordeaux. Jubilee (1942) — repelled raid on Dieppe. See Also Operation Rutter. Abercrombie (1942) — raid on Hardelot in preparation for Jubilee. Cauldron (1942) — raid on Varengeville in support of Jubilee. Lila (1942) — plan to capture French fleet at Toulon. Millennium (1942) — British 1000 bomber raid on Cologne. Outward (1942–44) ; free balloon attacks on Germany. Roundup (1942) — plan to invade Europe in the event of German or Soviet collapse. Later abandoned in favour of Torch landings. Planning for Roundup included; Sledgehammer (1942) — establishment of beachhead in Cherbourg or Brest. Roundhammer — revised planning for Roundup. Sickle (1942) — build-up of US air forces in UK Torch (1942 — Allied invasion of North Africa. Plan W (1942) — planning between Allies and neutral Éire (Ireland) to deal with Fall Grün.

1943 Bellicose (1943) — British bombing mission against Friedrichshafen and La Spezia. Bolero (1943/1944) — build-up of US forces and matériel in preparation for Allied invasion of France. Chastise (1943) — the bombing of Ruhr area dams popularly known as the "Dambusters" raid. Corona (1943) — bombing raid on Kassel, Germany. Constellation (1943) — one of several proposals to retake the Channel Islands; Condor (1943) — proposal to retake Jersey Concertina (1943) — proposal to retake Alderney Coverlet (1943) — proposal to retake Guernsey Crossbow (1943–1944) — plan to destroy rocket production and launch sites. See Also Pointblank. Hydra (1943) — bombing of Peenemünde rocket research center. Double Strike (1943) — bombing of Regensburg and Schweinfurt. Huckaback (1943) — commando raid on Herm in the Channel Islands Husky (1943 — Allied invasion of Sicily. Project Habakkuk (1943) — project to construct an aircraft carrier from pykrete. Pointblank (1943) — umbrella for bombing offensive by USAAF and RAF in preparation for Overlord. Gomorrah (1943) — sequence of air raids on Hamburg. Rankin (1943) — planned liberation of the Channel Islands

1944 Abel (1944) — harassment of German retreat in France. Astonia (1944) — assault on Le Havre Axehead (1944) — proposed assault crossing of the lower Seine and capture of Le Havre and Rouen (superseded by Astonia) Benson (1944) — reconnaissance mission by Belgian SAS near Amiens Bergbang (1944) — unsuccessful mission by Belgian SAS east of River Meuse Brutus (1944) — mission by Belgian SAS in Ardennes to arm local resistance and reinforce SAS forces Bulbasket (1944) — SAS operation to prevent German reinforcements moving from southern France to Normandy Bunyan (1944) — disruption mission by Belgian SAS in Chartres area Caliban (1944) — mission by Belgian SAS near Leopoldsburg to disrupt German communications Chaucer (1944) — Belgian SAS operation near Le Mans to harry German retreat Clipper (1944) — Allied assault on Siegfried Line at Geilenkirchen. Constellation (1944) — occupation of Venray and Venlo by British VIII Corps. Aintree (1944) — occupation of Overloon and Venray by British 3rd Infantry Division. Cooney (1944) — French SAS operation in Brittany to cut railway lines Derry (1944) — SAS operation near Le Mans to disrupt German retreat to Brest Diver (1944) — Defence of London against V-1 attack. Fabian (1944) — Belgian SAS reconnaissance operation around Arnhem (also involved in the recovery of British paratroops after Operation Market Garden) Franklin (1944) — French SAS operation in the Ardennes in support of the US VIII Corps Fusilade (1944) — capture of Dieppe Gaff (1944) — SAS operation near Rambouillet to kill or capture Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, but which instead destroyed trains and attacked a German headquarters Gain (1944) — SAS successful SAS operation southwest of Paris to disrupt enemy communications Gatwick (1944) — precursor of Operation Veritable Gobbo (1944) — Belgian SAS intelligence gathering operation in northern Holland, near Drente Guildford — 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division capture of BlerickJohn Buckley, Monty's Men: The British Army and the Liberation of Europe, London: Yale University Press, 2013, ISBN 978-0-300-13449-0. Haft (1944) — Special Air Service (SAS) intelligence gathering mission near Le Mans. Haggard (1944) — SAS operation near Bourges Hardy (1944) — SAS information gathering operation near Dijon Harrod (1944) — French SAS operation in the Saone et Loire in support of the US 3rd Army Houndsmith (1944) — Special Air Service (SAS) action near Dijon. Houndsworth (1944) — Special Air Service (SAS) campaign in and around Morvan. Hurricane (1944) — Bombing of Ruhr. See Also Chastise. Independence (1944) — clearance of German garrisons on the Gironde estuary (postponed, later revived as Operation Venerable) Infatuate (1944) capture of Walcheren Island — final phase of the Battle of the Scheldt. Jedburgh (1944) — 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 (1944) — air-raid on Amiens prison to release French Resistance prisoners Jockworth (1944) — French SAS operation near Lyon to impede German movements and bolster local Resistance; became active in the fighting in Lyon Kipling (1944) — 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 (1944) — unsuccessful large SAS action in Vosges mountains. Lüttich (1944) — German counter-offensive at Mortain. Mallard (Maas) — British XII Corps' advance to the Maas Marine (1944) — Dropping of naval mines into the Rhine Market Garden (1944) — Allied land and airborne attempt to cross the lower Rhine. Comet (1944) — early draft of Market Garden Berlin (1944) — withdrawal of British 1st Airborne. Marshall (1944) — French SAS mission to harass the enemy and stiffen local resistance around Correze Moses (1944) — Free French SAS action around Poitiers Newton (1944) — Free French SAS action in Burgundy, France Noah (1944) — response to blowing of river dykes near Nijmegen and consequential flooding Nutcracker — British VIII Corps' advance to the Maas Olive (1944) — offensive against the Gothic Line. Overlord (1944) — invasion of Normandy, France. See also Pointblank. Aberlour (1944) — cancelled follow-up to Mitten. Astonia (1944) — assault on Le Havre Bluecoat (1944) — Launched to support Operation Cobra Bodyguard — deception plan, including: Fortitude (1944) — Skye Fortitude (1944) — two deception operations to mislead over the location of landings Glimmer (1944) — feint towards Pas-de-Calais Hambone (1944) — also known as Copperhead Jael Quicksilver Zeppelin (1944) — deception plan to depict an amphibious landing on Crete, western Greece, or the Romanian Black Sea coast Charnwood (1944) — assault on Caen. Chastity (1944) — seize over Brittany. Chicago — Allied airdrop Cobra (1944) — breakout from Normandy. Dunhill (1944) — SAS reconnaissance action in support of Cobra. Cooney (1944) — Free French SAS action in St Malo area. Dauntless (1944) — See Operation Martlet Defoe (1944) — ineffective SAS reconnaissance around Argentan in Normandy Detroit (1944) — American airdrop in Normandy Dingson (1944) — Free French SAS operation around Vannes to disrupt communications and arm local Resistance Lost (1944) — French SAS team in Brittany to link with Dingson Epsom (1944) — British assault west of Caen, Normandy, aimed at capturing the city Martlet (1944) — Supporting operation launched the day before Operation Epsom Goodwood (1944) — British armoured assault to capture the Bourguébus Ridge, destroy German armoured reserves and support Operation Atlantic Atlantic (1944) — Operation to capture the remaining sections of the German-occupied city of Caen. Launched side by side with Operation Goodwood Greenline (1944) — diversionary attack by XII Corps designed to draw German attention away from the upcoming assault, out of the Orne bridgehead, codenamed Goodwood.