List of naval and land-based operations in Mediterranean Sea area during World War II

Naval operations and land operations in regions and nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including southern Europe.

Axis

• 25 (1941) — invasion of Yugoslavia.
  • Strafe ("Punishment") (1941) — Bombing of Belgrade by Luftwaffe as part of Operation 25
• Achse ("Axis") (1943) — response to Italian defection. Final plan Achse represented combination of plan Schwartz and original plan Achse.
• Aida (1942) — Afrika Korps advance into Egypt.
• Little Atlas Agadir (1944) —failed operation to fly agents into Morocco
• Bodden (1942) — German intelligence activity around Gibraltar
• Brandung (1941) — Axis attack toward El Alamein that became the Battle of Alam el Halfa
• Capri (1942) — counter-attack at Medenine, Tunisia
• Etappenhase (1944) —aborted attempt to establish assault bases along Algerian-Tunisian border
• Felix (1940–41) — planned invasion of Gibraltar.
• Frühlungswind ("Spring wind") (1943) — attack on CCA/1st at Sidi bou Zid.
• Gertrud — planned response in event Turkey joined Allies.
• Herbstnebel 2 (1944) — rejected proposal to withdraw troops in Italy behind Po River.
• Herkules (1942) — planned Axis airborne invasion of Malta.
• Isabella (1941) — plans for operations on the Iberian peninsula.
  • Ilana (1942) — amended Isabella.
  • Gisella (1942) — Isabella renamed.
  • Nürnberg (1943) — third and final plan in case of Allied landings in the Iberian peninsula.
• Lehrgang ("Training Course") (1943) — evacuation of Sicily following Allied Operation Husky.
• Marita (1941) — invasion of Greece.
  • Alpenveilchen ("Alpine Violet") (1941) — planned German intervention in Albania
• Merkur ("Mercury") (1941) — German invasion of Crete
• Mittelmeer ("Mediterrean") (1940–1941) — reinforcement of Regia Aeronautica in Mediterranean by X Fliegerkorps
• Morgenluft ("Morning Air") (1941) — occupation of Gafsa
• Morgenrote ("Dawn") (1944) — German counterattack against Allied Operation Shingle.
• Moro (1941) — refuelling of U-boats by Spain
• Ochsenkopf ("Ox head") (1942) —
• Otto (1936) — military assistance to Franco
• Skorpion ("Scorpion") (1941) — Axis recapture of Halfaya Pass
• Sommernachtstraum ("Summers Night Dream") (1941) —
• Sonnenblume (Sun Flower) — movement Afrika Korps troops to North Africa as a result of Compass
• Sturmflut ("Storm tide") (1941) —
• Theseus (1942) — offensive to drive Allies out of Cyrenaica and Egypt
• Wintergewitter ("Winter Storm") (1944) — axis offensive against the American 92nd Infantry Division in the Appennines
• Venezia (1941) — axis attack on the Gazala Line

Allies

• Abstention (1941) — British attempt to seize the island of Kastelorizo thwarted by Italian forces
• Abeam (1941) — disinformation operation to convince Italians of the presence of British paratroops in north Africa
• Accolade (1943) — proposed British occupation of Rhodes, and subsequently, failed occupation of the Dodecanese
• Agreement (1942) — British, Rhodesian and New Zealand raids on several North African targets
  • Daffodil (1942) — Tobruk raid
  • Hyacinth (1942) — Barce raid
  • Snowdrop (1942) — Benghazi raid
  • Tulip (1942) — Jalo oasis recapture
• Anvil (1944) — Allied invasion of Southern France. Name later changed to Dragoon
• Astrologer (1941) — failed attempt to run 2 unescorted transports to Malta
• Avalanche (1943) — Allied landings near Salerno, Italy
  • Boardman (1943) — deception operation for Avalanche
  • Giant II — cancelled landing of U.S. 82nd Airborne near Rome.
• Battleaxe (1941) — failed British attack on Axis forces in North Africa to relieve Tobruk
• Backbone & Backbone II (1942 & 1943) — contingency plans to occupy Spanish Morocco and area around Gibraltar if Germans entered Spain
  • Ballast (?) — plan to support Gibraltar
  • Blackthorn (?) — plan to support Gibraltar
  • Challenger (?) — plan to seize Ceuta
• Baritone (1942) — delivery of 32 Spitfires to Malta from HMS Furious
• Baytown (1943) — Allied landings in Calabria, Italy
  • Slapstick (1944) — British landings at Taranto
• Begonia (1943) — airborne part of attempted British POW rescue in Italy
• Bellows (1942) — delivery of 38 Spitfires to Malta from HMS Furious
• Bowery (1942) — delivery of 64 Spitfires to Malta from HMS Eagle and USS Wasp
• Brasso (1942) — scheme for safe unloading and dispersal of ships' cargo at Malta
• Brevity (1941) — British capture of Halfaya Pass, Egypt
• Calendar (1942) — delivery of 47 Spitfires to Malta from USS Wasp
• Callboy (1941) — delivery of Swordfish and Albacores to Malta from HMS Argus
• Candytuft (1943) — SAS operation to destroy rail bridge between Pesaro and Fano
• Coat (1940) —passage of naval reinforcements through the Mediterranean
• Cold Comfort (1945) — failed SAS raid to block rail route through Brenner Pass
• Collar (1940) — naval reinforcements from Gibraltar to Egypt, carrying supplies and personnel for Malta and Egypt.
• Colossus (1941) — experimental airborne raid on Italian aqueduct near Calitri in southern Italy
• Compass (1940) — British counteroffensive in North Africa
• Corkscrew (1943) — Allied occupation of Pantellaria
• Crusader (1941) — British relief of Tobruk
  • Chieftain (1941) — attempt to divert German aircraft with a decoy convoy from Gibraltar
  • Landmark (1941) — diversion with a non-existent convoy to Malta
• Crupper (1942) — failed attempt to run two unescorted freighters into Malta
• Demon (1941) — evacuation of Allied troops from Greece
• Diadem (1944) — Successful Allied assault on German Gustav Line defences in Italy.
  • Strangle (1944) — Allied bombing of German supply lines, in preparation for operation Diadem.
• Dragoon (1944) — Allied landing in southern France
  • Dove — gliderborne component of Dragoon
  • Romeo — Free French assault on German coastal battery
  • Span — deception operation in support of Dragoon
• Driftwood (1944) — failed raid on rail targets north of Rome
• Dunlop (1941) — delivery of 24 Hurricanes to Malta from HMS Ark Royal (1 lost en route)
• Encore (1945) — Allied assault on mountain positions in Italy
• Excess (1941) — Malta convoy to reinforce Greece and Malta
  • MC4 (1941) — shipping movements to and from Malta
• Exporter (1941) — Allied invasion of Vichy-controlled Syria and Lebanon
• Fustian (1943) — British airborne capture of a bridge on Sicily
• Grog (1941) — bombardment of Genoa
• Guillotine (1941) — transfer of troops to Cyprus
• Guillotine (1943) — Allied advance from Cyrenaica to Tripolitania
• Gymnast — early name for Operation Torch
• Halberd (1941) — Malta convoy via Gibraltar
• Hats (1940) — attempt to provoke Italians into a fleet action and supplies for Malta and Egypt from Gibraltar
  • Squawk (1940) — radio transmissions by destroyers, intended to mislead or confuse Italians
• Hide (1940) — movements by Force H to cover convoy and escort HMS Malaya to Gibraltar (linked to Operation MC2)
  • Seek (1940) — anti-submarine sweep ahead of Hide
• Hurry (1940) — delivery of 12 Hurricanes to Malta from HMS Argus
  • Spark (1940) — diversionary radio transmissions by HMS Enterprise
• Husky (1943) — Allied invasion of Sicily
  • Chestnut (1943) — SAS raid supporting Sicily invasion
  • Ladbroke (1943) — British glider landing near Syracuse, Sicily
  • Mincemeat (1943) — Disinformation operation prior to the invasion of Sicily
    • Brimstone (1943) — fictional invasion of Sardinia, part of cover for Husky
  • Narcissus (1943) — British SAS raid on a lighthouse in Sicily
• Insect (1942) — delivery of 28 Spitfires from HMS Eagle
• Jonquil (1943) — seaborne part of attempted British POW rescue in Italy (see also: Begonia)
• Judgement (1940) — British air attack on Italian fleet in Taranto harbour
• Julius (1942) — coordinated supply convoys to Malta
  • Harpoon (1942) — Malta convoy from Gibraltar
  • Salient (1942) — delivery of Spitfires to Malta from HMS Eagle
  • Style (1942) — delivery of Spitfires to Malta from HMS Eagle
  • Vigorous (1942) — Malta convoy from Alexandria
    • Rembrandt (1942) — Malta convoy from Alexandria, early portion of Vigorous
• LB (1942) — delivery of 16 Spitfires to Malta from HMS Eagle
• Lightfoot (1942) — first attack by the British and Australians at El Alamein
  • Bertram (1942) — deception operation in preparation for the Second Battle of El Alamein
  • Supercharge (1942) — second stage attack by British and New Zealanders at El Alamein
• Lustre (1941) — Allied reinforcement of Greece
• Mandibles (1941) a planned 1940/1941 British amphibious assault on Rhodes, Leros and the Dodecanese Islands in the Aegean Sea.
• Manna (1944) — Allied re-occupation of Greece and Aegean Islands
• MB8 (1940) — passage of convoys from Alexandria to Malta and from Port Said to Crete
  • Barbarity (1940) — carriage of military personnel and equipment by cruiser to Suda Bay
• MC2 (1940) — passage westwards of HMS Malaya (linked to Operation Hide)
• Mincemeat (1942) eturn of empty Pedestal merchantmen from Malta
• Outing & Outing II (1944) — anti-shipping operations in Aegean Sea
• Pedestal (1942) — Allied convoy from Gibraltar to Malta.
  • Ascendant (1942) — escort of freighters from Malta
  • Bellows (1942) — delivery of Spitfires to Malta from HMS Furious
  • Berserk (1942) — exercise to establish fleet air tactics
  • Ceres (1942) — scheme for safe unloading and dispersal of Pedestal cargoes at Malta
• Perpetual (1941) — delivery of aircraft to Malta
• Picket (1942) — delivery of 16 Spitfires to Malta from HMS Eagle and Argus
• Pilgrim (1941) — contingency plan to seize Canary Islands
• Pinpoint (1942) — delivery run to Malta by HMS Welshman
• Propeller (1941) — passage of Empire Guillemot to Malta
• Portcullis (1942) — convoy from Alexandria to Malta
• Pugilist (1943) — Allied attack on Mareth Line and advance to Sfax
• Puma (1941) — contingency plan to seize Canary Islands
• Quadrangle (1942) — three convoy movements to and from Malta
• Railway (1941) — delivery of Hurricanes to Malta from HMS Furious and HMS Ark Royal in 2 phases
• Rocket (1941) — delivery of Hurricanes to Malta from HMS Furious and HMS Ark Royal
• Roast (1945) — action by British Commandos at Comacchio lagoon, north east Italy
• Sapphic (?) — plan to support Gibraltar
• Salient (1941) — delivery of 32 Spitfires to Malta from HMS Eagle
• Saxifrage (1943) — four parties from 2 SAS to destroy the railway line between Ancona and Pescara
• Shingle (1944) — Allied landings at Anzio
  • Baobab (1944) — SAS operation to destroy rail bridge between Pesaro and Fano
  • Chettyford — deception plan to support Shingle
  • Pomegranate (1944) — SAS raid in support of Shingle
• Speedwell (1945) — Behind enemy lines operation by the British Special Air Service to disrupt rail communications in northern Italy.
• Splice (1941) — delivery of Hurricanes to Malta from HMS Furious and HMS Ark Royal
• Spotter (1942) — delivery of 15 Spitfires to Malta from HMS Eagle and Argus
• Status 1 (1941) — delivery of 26 Hurricanes and a Swordfish to Malta from HMS Ark Royal
• Status 2 (1941) — delivery of Hurricanes and a Swordfish to Malta from HMS Ark Royal and Furious
• Stone Age (or: Stoneage) (1942) — Malta convoy from Alexandria
• Substance (1941) — Malta convoy
• Sunrise (1945) — negotiations leading to German surrender in Italy.
• Supercharge II (1942) — the breakthrough at Tebaga Gap, Tunisia
• Survey (1943) — Malta convoy from Alexandria
• Temple (1941) — failed attempt to run a merchant ship (Parracombe) to Malta
• Tiger (1941) — Malta convoy via Gibraltar
• Tombola (1945) — SAS raid in Italy
• Torch (1942) — Allied landings in Morocco and Algeria originally titled Gymnast.
  • Blackstone (1942) — US assault on Safi, Morocco
  • Brushwood (1942) — US assault on Fedala
  • Goalpost (1942) — US assault on Port Lyautey (now Kenitra)
  • Perpetual (1942) — British landings at Cap Carbon
  • Reservist (1942) — failed Allied attack on Oran
• Tracer (1941) — delivery of 48 Hurricanes to Malta from HMS Ark Royal and Victorious
• Train (1942) — delivery of 29 Spitfires to Malta from Furious
• Vesuve (1943) — Free French landings in Corsica.
• Vulcan (1943) — Final Allied assault on Axis forces trapped around Tunis.
• White (1940) — delivery of 12 Hurricanes to Malta (4 arrive, 8 lost en route)
• Winch (1940) — delivery of 12 Hurricanes to Malta from HMS Ark Royal
• Wop (1943) — US 1st Division occupies Gafsa
• Zombie (1945) — Operation Cold Comfort, renamed.

See also

List of World War II military operations