This is a list of known World War II era codenames for military operations and missions commonly associated with World War II. 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 of Assab – FAA attack on Massawa – Allied landings on Madagascar – ground campaign on Madagascar – seaborne Free French and British attack on Dakar, French West Africa (Senegal) – SOE operation to capture three Axis vessels in the neutral Spanish island of Fernando Po – Allied anti-submarine naval patrol off MadagascarIncludes North Sea and Arctic Ocean operations and actions against naval vessels in harbour
– Allied naval patrols around Azores – final RAF air attack on Tirpitz – Allied anti-shipping off Norway – British anti-shipping operation off Norway – postwar scuttling of U-boats – first of the Arctic Convoys to the Soviet Union – British anti-shipping operation off Norway – British anti-submarine air offensive in Bay of Biscay (also Enclose II) – British anti-shipping operation off Norway – sequence of 4 carrier-borne air attacks on Tirpitz – British special naval transport to Murmansk
– antishipping operation off Norway by USS Ranger – attempt to destroy German invasion barges – failed carrier-borne air attack on Tirpitz – RAF air attack on Tirpitz – RAF air attack on Tirpitz – cancelled carrier-borne air attacks on the Tirpitz – British naval air attack on shipping off Norway – Allied anti-shipping patrol off Norway – capture of 's Enigma cypher machine and documents by HMS Bulldog – British convoy escort to Murmansk – British X class submarine (midget submarine) attacks on German warships based in Norway 
– Allied operation to intercept blockade runners in the Bay of Biscay – anti U-boat operation – carrier-borne air attack on Tirpitz – standard British plan to intercept German blockade runnersSee main article: List of military operations on the Eastern Front of World War II.
See main article: List of naval and land-based operations in Mediterranean Sea area during World War II.
See main article: List of naval and land-based operations in Pacific Theater during World War II.
– improvement of the defences of Kunming against Japanese threats – establishment of bases for US B-29 bomber aircraftIncludes operations in Iraq, Syria, Iran, India, Burma, Malaya and Indo-China, and the Indian Ocean
– proposed strategy to retake Burma and reopen the land route to China – photographic reconnaissance of southern Malaya and airstrikes against Sumatran airfields
– defensive scheme for Mandalay and Meiktila air raid on Palembang – search and destroy operation for German supply tanker – Allied capture of northern Burma 
– Allied naval airstrike on Sabang, Sumatra 
– American and Filipino campaign to defeat and expel the Imperial Japanese forces occupying the Philippines. – naval airstrikes against the Nicobar Islands and air cover for minesweeping forces near Phuket Island – Allied invasion of neutral Iran
– Allied naval airstrike and bombardment of Sabang, Sumatra – proposed allied invasion of northern Sumatra – British amphibious assault on Rangoon, Burma. – covering operation for Dracula – Allied exercise in preparation for joint operations against the Japanese – British search and destroy operation for Japanese cruiser Haguro – British and Commonwealth invasion of Vichy French-held Syria – cutting of submarine telephone cables off Hong Kong – Anglo-Australian attack on Japanese shipping in Singapore harbour – British move into Thailand to pre-empt expected Japanese action – naval air attack on refineries on Sumatra – naval air strikes on northern Malaya and air cover for minesweeping operations – Chindits advance into Burma – Planned British pre-emptive move into Siam from Malaya – British occupation of Ramree Island – naval air attacks on installations on Sumatra – convoying of Australian troops from Suez to Australia – planned air attack on Soviet oil installations at Baku – anti-shipping raid by special forces on Japanese shipping in Singapore harbour – British and Commonwealth invasion of the Kingdom of Iraq to restore government ousted by Rashid Ali; including; – cutting of submarine communications cable off Saigon – landings by Royal Marines on Cheduba Island – pursuit of German commerce raider in Indian Ocean – destruction of IJN cruiser Takao in Singapore harbour, using midget submarines – Anglo-Indian capture of Akyab island and construction of supply airbase in support of Burma campaign – landings on Akyab island – Chindits operation in Burma – Allied naval air raid on Surabaya, Java – Anglo-Indian landings and capture of Taungup Planned British seaborne landing in Malaya.
– Finnish plan to destroy railroad tracks to deny the Soviets their supplies. – Finnish naval operation for the militarization of the Åland islands. – Proposed combined German and Finnish attack against Kandalaksha and Belomorsk. – German and Finnish operations in the Arctic, including: – Joint German-Finnish attack towards Murmansk from Finnish Petsamo. – Joint German-Finnish attack towards Kandalaksha from Finnish Lapland. evacuation of British troops from Norway – British commando raid on Vågsøy, Norway – raid on German positions on Lofoten Islands, Norway – Reallocation of RAF training aircraft – RAF bombing of the Gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark British plan to gain control of Baltic Sea – British raid on Lofoten Islands, Norway) – attempted raid on a Norwegian heavy water plant at Vemork, see Gunnerside
– Norwegian guide party for Freshman – 2nd raid on the Norwegian heavy water plant at Vemork – Invasion of Iceland by British. – raid on Spitsbergen – cancelled SAS raid to destroy railway bridge near Trondheim – Naval operation that led to the action of 28 January 1945 – suggested invasion of Norway – British/ Norwegian destruction of a power station in Norway – Planned British landing at Ålesund, Norway – Planned British invasion of Norway – British response to German Operation Sizilien – British plan to mine the Norwegian coast
– Swedish plan to liberate Denmark before the country was occupied by the Soviet Union (cancelled because of German surrender)
See main article: List of military operations in the West European Theater during World War II by year.
– 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 of B-17 bombers as radio-controlled missiles. – launches of captured V-2 rockets. – Radar research by US Navy. – US actions to capture German scientific documents, facilities and aircraft. – program to build an atomic bomb.
– transfer of captured V-2 components from occupied Poland to Britain. Also known as Wildhorn III. – capture of scientists, technical and German rocketry. Originally Operation Overcast sometimes called Project Paperclip. – Similar to Paperclip; program to exploit German aeronautical scientific advances. transfer of Finnish SIGINT, equipment, and personnel to Sweden following end of the Continuation war in 1944. – seizure of intelligence apparatus, in particular cryptographic assets. See also Stella Polaris.See main article: List of Special Operations Executive operations in World War II.
– 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 of partisans
– assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in Prague. – a series of local uprisings by the Polish Home Army – battle for Wilno (Vilnius) – SAS operation near Turin to train and organise Italian resistance fighters. – US airdrops to several national Resistance forces – a series of assassinations of Nazi personnel by the Home Army – assassination of Franz Bürkl – assassination of Ludwig Fischer – assassination of Franz Kutschera – airborne supply operation to FFI in Vercors Massif – airdrop into Vercors Massif of liaison teams – airborne supply operation to FFI in Vercors Massif – action of the Home Army against German border guarding stations – action of the Polish Związek Odwetu against German railway transport – series of operations of the Polish resistance against the GermansSee main article: Anti-partisan operations in World War II.
– insertion of propaganda into the German mail system. – secure speech system for highest-level Allied communications. – SIGINT resulting from Japanese cipher system PURPLE. – Admiralty plan of Ian Fleming to capture an Enigma encryption machine. – intelligence sharing resulting from spying on Soviets. – SIGINT resulting from German cipher system Enigma. – OSS team parachuted into Japanese Manchukuo to rescue Allied POWs including General Wainwright[2] [3] – 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. – 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 – removal of Polish warships to Britain, in advance of German invasion – evacuation of children from British cities. – British Antarctic expedition. – Polish naval defence of the Polish coast – Global US War planning between the World Wars.