List_of_military_operations_on_the_Eastern_Front_of_World_War_II

List of military operations on the Eastern Front of World War II

List of military operations on the Eastern Front of World War II

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This is a list of military operations in Europe on the Eastern Front of World War II. These were operations by Germany and its allies on one side and the Soviet Union and its allies on the other and were a consequence of the German invasion in 1941. The geographic boundaries have blurred edges. Finland, classed elsewhere as a "Nordic" country, participated in Barbarossa but later fought against German troops (see Military operations in Scandinavia and Iceland during World War II). Yugoslavia, for much of the war, was part of operations in southern Europe but it was liberated by the Red Army. In the cases of Finland and Yugoslavia, therefore, operations are likely to be entered in different lists, depending on the protagonists - not geography. Soviet operations in Iran will be listed in the List of World War II military operations.

Eastern Front

Axis

In alphabetic order

  • Aktion 24 (1945) Germany largely unsuccessful attempts to use Mistels and explosive-laden Do 24s to destroy strategic river bridges
  • Aster (1944) Germany withdrawal from Estonia.
  • Barbarossa ("Red Beard" was the nickname for Emperor Frederick I) (1941) Germany Italy Romania Hungary Slovakia Finland invasion of the Soviet Union.
    • Haifisch ("Shark") (1941) Germany deception operation for Barbarossa, feint on Scotland and north-east England from Norway.
    • Harpune ("Harpoon") (1941) Germany deception operation for Barbarossa, feint on southern England from France.
    • München ("Munich") (1941) Germany Romania joint German-Romanian offensive of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina.
    • Taifun ("Typhoon") (1941) Germany offensive to capture Moscow before winter.
  • Beowulf I & II (Heroic figure) (1941) Germany two separate plans to assault the Estonian islands of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa and Muhu
    • Nordwind ("Northern wind") (1941) Germany Finland Diversionary plan for Beowulf II
      • Lel (1941) Germany sub-plan of Nordwind
      • Nau (1941) Germany sub-plan of Nordwind
      • Stimmung ("Tendency") (1941) Germany sub-plan of Nordwind
    • Siegfried (Heroic figure)(1941) Germany German assault on Hiiumaa
      • Ost ("East") (1941) Germany sub-plan of Siegfried
      • Mitte ("Middle") (1941) Germany sub-plan of Siegfried
      • West (1941) Germany sub-plan of Siegfried
    • Südwind ("Southern wind") (1941) Germany Diversionary plan for Beowulf II
    • Weststurm ("Western Storm") (1941) Germany naval bombardment in support of Beowulf II
    • Westwind (1941) Germany Diversionary plan for Beowulf II
    • Edelweiss (1942) Germany advance through the Caucasus to the Baku oil fields and Black Sea coast
    • Kreml ("Kremlin") (1942) Germany deception operation to conceal southern offensive
  • BLAU ("BLUE") (1942) Germany Umbrella name for drive towards southern Soviet Union.
  • Delphin ("Dolphin") (1943) Germany German withdrawal from Saaremaa, Estonia.
  • Eisenhammer ("Iron Hammer") (1943) Germany abandoned plan to attack Soviet power plants power generators near Moscow and Gorky, using Mistel composite aircraft, abandoned in 1945.
  • Eisstoss ("Ice Push") (1941) Germany Luftwaffe raids on Soviet warships near Leningrad including;
    • Froschlaich ("FrogSpawn") (1941) - air raids against Soviet Navy yards at Leningrad, USSR; part of Operation Eisstoss
    • Götz v. Berlichingen (a knight in the Swabian war) (1941) - air raids against Soviet Navy at Leningrad, USSR; part of Operation Eisstoss
  • Feuerzauber ("Fire Magic") (1942) Germany planned capture of Leningrad
  • Flamingo (1942) Germany planting of Mishinskii as German agent in Soviet military hierarchy
  • Frühlingserwachen ("Spring Awakening") (1945) Germany Hungary counterattack against Soviets in Hungary. Last major offensive on Eastern Front.
  • Hannibal (1945) Germany evacuation of East Prussia
  • Joseph (1944) Germany proposal to destroy electricity supplies to Moscow
  • Konrad (1945) Germany Hungary German-Hungarian efforts to relieve the encircled garrison in Budapest
  • Laura (1944) Germany proposed evacuation of Courland
  • Margarethe (1944) Germany military operation to keep Hungary from defecting
  • Narwa I II III (1942/43) Germany sabotage operations behind Soviet lines
  • Nordlicht ("Northern Lights") (1942) Germany planned assault on Leningrad
  • Polikov (1942/43) Germany sabotage operations behind Soviet lines
  • Rennstrecke (1944) Germany planned air supply of German troops isolated behind Soviet lines (later found out as a Soviet deception)
  • Salzsee (1944) Germany sabotage operations in Kalmykia, USSR
  • Schamil (1942) Germany
  • Sonnenwende ("Winter Solstice") (1945) Germany offensive in Pomerania to stall the advance on Berlin
  • Südwind ("South Wind") (1945) Germany offensive in Hungary to eliminate the Soviet bridgehead west of the Garam
  • Trappenjagd ("Bustard Hunt") (1942) Germany Romania offensive in the Kerch Peninsula
  • Wilddieb (1944) Germany RSHA operation to monitor radio traffic from isolated German troops
  • Wolf (1942/43) Germany sabotage operations behind Soviet lines
  • Wunderland ("Wonderland") (1942) Germany
  • Zauberflöte (1943) Germany Joint Wehrmacht / SS Police security operation in Minsk, Belarus
  • Zitadelle ("Citadel") (1943) Germany German offensive at Kursk

Soviet Union

Operations listed here are some of the better known strategic operations of the Red Army in World War II, and exclude operations by partisans or "Home Armies". These are included under List of World War II military operations. Names of other operations have not been recorded and these have become known by their regional objective.[1]

In alphabetic order

See also


Notes and references

  1. See Glantz paper titled: "The Soviet-German War 1941-1945: Myths and Realities: A Survey Essay" presented as the 20th anniversary distinguished lecture at the Strom Thurmond Institute of Government and Public Affairs Clemson University October 11, 2001

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