Military Operations of WW2

A British intelligence plot to sow misinformation to the Italians about a supposed naval invasion of Greece and Sardinia in order to disguise the real invasion planned for Sicily.

A proposed but ultimately scrapped German plan to invade Switzerland.

The Soviet plans for a massive counteroffensive in Byelorussia in order to capitalize on the Western Allies' successful D-Day Landings.

An American secret operation to evacuate notable German scientists from the collapsing Nazi regime in order to employ them in American scientific programs, including known and complicit war criminals and Nazi party members.

The proposed German plan for a Naval invasion of the British Isles that was scrapped when the Luftwaffe failed to achieve air superiority over the channel.

An allied airborne campaign with the goal to gain a viable bridgehead over the Rhine river - a goal which it ultimately failed to achieve.

The successful German invasion of Denmark and Norway

The German invasion of the Soviet Union, named after a Holy Roman Emperor.

The naval invasion of five beachheads in Normandy, carried out by American, British, and Canadian forces on D-Day. It was the largest naval invasion in military history.

A Japanese land operation against China, carried out in the latter stages of the war. The goal was to connect an overland supply line from Japanese controlled Indochina to the Chinese mainland, as well as to capture southern Chinese airfields from which American bombers were launching tactical bombing runs.

The allied plans for a massive naval invasion of the Japanese home islands. Had it been carried out, it would have significantly dwarfed the Normandy landings in scale. Over half a million purple heart medals were minted for the expected casualties that would have resulted from the operation, which are still being used today by the United States armed forces.

The allied invasion of French North Africa. It was carried out as a way for green American soldiers to face the Germans in combat on a limited scale.

A coup attempt carried by German dissenters following the failed 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Erwin Rommel was notably implicated in this plot and forced to commit suicide as a result. A 2008 film was made about this operation starring Tom Cruise.

The naval evacuation of nearly 350,000 allied soldiers from Dunkirk after they had been cut off by land in the initial Battle of France.