List of World War II battles

This is a list of World War II battles encompassing land, naval, and air engagements as well as campaigns, operations, defensive lines and sieges. Campaigns generally refer to broader strategic operations conducted over a large bit of territory and over a long period. Battles generally refer to short periods of intense combat localised to a specific area and over a specific period. However, use of the terms in naming such events is not consistent. For example, the Battle of the Atlantic was more or less an entire theatre of war, and the so-called battle lasted for the duration of the entire war. Another misnomer is the Battle of Britain, which by all rights should be considered a campaign, not a mere battle.

African Front
• North African campaign: June 1940 – May 1943

• * Western Desert campaign: June 1940 – February 1943

• ** Battle of Gazala: May–June 1942

• *** Battle of Bir Hakeim: May–June 1942

• ** First Battle of El Alamein: July 1942

• ** Battle of Alam el Halfa: August–September 1942

• ** Second Battle of El Alamein: October–November 1942

• ** Battle of El Agheila: December 1942

• * Operation Torch: November 1942

• ** Operation Terminal: 8 November 1942

• ** Naval Battle of Casablanca

• * Tunisia Campaign: November 1942 – May 1943

• ** Battle of the Kasserine Pass: February 1943

• ** Battle of Sidi Bou Zid: February 1943

• ** Battle of Medenine: March 1943

• ** Battle of the Mareth Line: March 1943

• ** Battle of El Guettar: March–April 1943

• ** Operation Flax: April 1943

• ** Battle of Longstop Hill (1943): April 1943

• ** Battle of Hill 609: April–May 1943

• ** Operation Vulcan: May 1943

• ** Operation Retribution: May 1943

• ** Operation Strike: May 1943

Mediterranean Front
• Battle of the Mediterranean Sea: June 1940–May 1945

• * Second Battle of Sirte

• * Operation Vigorous

• * Operation Pedestal

• * Battle of Skerki Bank

• * Raid on Algiers

• * Battle of the Cigno Convoy

• * Battle of the Campobasso Convoy

• * Battle of the Messina Convoy

• * Operation Scylla

• * Battle of the Ligurian Sea

• Operation Agreement: September 1942

• Operation Strangle: March 1943 – June 1944

• Allied invasion of Sicily: July–August 1943

• * Operation Ladbroke

• * Operation Fustian

• * Battle of Troina

• Allied invasion of Italy: September 1943

• * Operation Slapstick

• Dodecanese Campaign: September–October 1943

• * Battle of Leros

• * Battle of Kos

• * Battle of Rhodes

• Battle of Naples: September 1943

• Volturno Line: October–November 1943

• Barbara Line: October–November 1943

• Air Raid on Bari: December 1943

• Battle of Ortona: December 1943

• Bernhardt Line: December 1943 – January 1944

• Moro River Campaign: December 1943

• Battle of Monte Cassino: January–May 1944

• * Operation Diadem

• Battle of Anzio: January–June 1944

• * Battle of Cisterna

• Trasimene Line: June–July 1944

• Battle of Ancona: June–July 1944

• Gothic Line: August–December 1944

• * Battle of Gemmano

• * Battle of Rimini

• Battle of San Marino: September 1944

• Battle of Garfagnana: December 1944

• Battle of Monte Castello: November 1944 – February 1945

• Spring 1945 offensive in Italy: April–May 1945

• * Battle of Bologna:

• * Battle of the Argenta Gap:

• * Battle of Collecchio:

Western Front
• Aerial incidents in Switzerland in World War II (1940–1945)

• Operation Cerberus: February 1942

• Operation Donnerkeil: February 1942

• St. Nazaire Raid: March 1942

• Dieppe Raid: August 1942

• Battle of Berlin (air): November 1943 – March 1944

• Western Allied invasion of France: June 1944–March 1945

• * Operation Overlord: June–August 1944

• ** Operation Tonga

• ** Normandy landings

• ** Battle for Caen

• *** Operation Perch

• **** Battle of Villers-Bocage

• *** Operation Epsom

• *** Operation Windsor

• *** Operation Charnwood

• *** Operation Jupiter

• *** Second Battle of the Odon

• *** Operation Goodwood

• *** Operation Atlantic

• *** Battle of Verrières Ridge

• *** Operation Spring

• ** Battle of Cherbourg

• *** Battle of Carentan

• **** Battle of Bloody Gulch

• ** Battle of Saint-Lô

• ** Operation Cobra

• ** Operation Lüttich

• ** Battle for Brest

• ** Operation Totalize

• ** Falaise Pocket

• *** Operation Tractable

• **** Battle of Hill 262

• *** Battle of Chambois

• ** Liberation of Paris

• ** French Resistance

• * Operation Valkyrie: July 1944

• * Operation Dragoon: August–September 1944

• ** Operation Romeo

• ** Battle of Port Cros

• ** Battle of La Ciotat

• * Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine: August 1944 – March 1945

• * Clearing the Channel Coast: September–November 1944

• ** Operation Astonia

• ** Siege of Dunkirk (1944)

• ** Operation Wellhit

• ** Operation Undergo

• ** Battle of the Scheldt

• * Lorraine Campaign: September–December 1944

• ** Battle of Nancy

• ** Battle of Metz

• ** Battle of Arracourt

• Operation Market Garden: September 1944

• * Battle of Arnhem

• * Battle of Nijmegen

• Battle of Moerbrugge: September 1944

• Battle of Aachen: September–October 1944

• * Battle of Crucifix Hill

• Battle of Overloon: September–October 1944

• Battle of Hürtgen Forest: September–December 1944

• * Operation Queen

• Operation Clipper: November 1944

• Battle of Vianden: November 1944

• Battle of Kesternich: December 1944 – February 1945

• Battle of the Bulge: December 1944 – January 1945

• * Battle of Elsenborn Ridge

• ** Losheim Gap

• ** Battle of Lanzerath Ridge

• * Battle of Clervaux

• * Battle of St. Vith

• * Siege of Bastogne

• * Operation Bodenplatte

• Operation Nordwind: January 1945

• Colmar Pocket

• Operation Blackcock: January 1945

• Operation Veritable: February 1945

• Operation Grenade: February 1945

• Operation Lumberjack

• * Battle of Remagen

• Western Allied invasion of Germany: March–May 1945

• * Operation Undertone

• * Operation Plunder

• ** Operation Varsity

• * Ruhr Pocket

• * Battle of Kassel

• * Battle of Heilbronn

• * Operation Amherst

• * Battle of Nuremberg

• * Battle of Hamburg

• * Battle of Castle Itter

• Liberation of Arnhem

• Battle of Groningen

• Battle of Otterlo

Atlantic Ocean
• Battle of the Atlantic: 1939–1945

• * Battle of Torpedo Alley

• * Action of 27 March 1942

• * Battle of the St. Lawrence

• * Action of 6 June 1942

• * Convoy PQ 17

• * Naval Battle of Casablanca

• * Battle of the Barents Sea

• * Battle of Sept-Îles

• * Battle of the North Cape

• * Operation Stonewall

• ** Battle of the Bay of Biscay

• * Operation Teardrop

• * Battle of Ushant

• * Battle of Pierres Noires

• * Action of 9 February 1945

• * Battle of Point Judith

Eastern Front
• Soviet Winter counter-offensive: December 1941 – May 1942

• * Battles of Rzhev

• ** Operation Büffel

• * Toropets-Kholm Operation

• * Demyansk Pocket

• * Second Battle of Kharkov

• Operation Kremlin

• Axis Summer offensive: June–November 1942

• * Operation Braunschweig: July–November 1942

• * Battle of Voronezh (1942)

• * Battle of the Caucasus

• ** Malaya Zemlya

• * Battle of Kalach

• * Battle of Stalingrad

• Operation Uranus: November 1942

• Operation Mars: November–December 1942

• Operation Little Saturn: December 1942 – February 1943

• * Tatsinskaya Raid

• Operation Winter Storm: December 1942

• Battle for Velikiye Luki (1943)

• Operation Polyarnaya Zvezda

• * Battle of Krasny Bor

• Ostrogozhsk-Rossosh Operation

• Battle of Voronezh (1943)

• Third Battle of Kharkov

• Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

• Operation Citadel: July–August 1943

• * Battle of Kursk

• ** Battle of Prokhorovka

• ** Operation Kutuzov

• Battle of Smolensk (1943)

• * Battle of Lenino

• Fourth Battle of Kharkov

• * Battle of Belgorod

• Białystok Ghetto Uprising: August 1943

• Battle of the Dnieper: August–December 1943

• * Battle of Kiev (1943)

• Operation Concert: September 1943

• Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive: December 1943 – April 1944

• * Zhitomir–Berdichev Offensive

• * Korsun Pocket

• * Uman-Botoshany Offensive

• * Kamenets-Podolsky pocket

• Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive

• Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket

• Battle of Narva (1944): February–August 1944

• * Krasnoye Selo–Ropsha Offensive

• * Kingisepp–Gdov Offensive

• * Battle for Narva Bridgehead

• ** Battle of Auvere

• * Narva Offensive (15–28 February 1944)

• * Narva Offensive (1–4 March 1944)

• * Narva Offensive (July 1944)

• ** Battle of Tannenberg Line

• Operation Margarethe

• Crimean Offensive (1944)

• * Kerch-Eltigen Operation

• Shyaulyay Offensive

• Battle of Someri

• Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive

• Operation Bagration: June–August 1944

• * Vitebsk–Orsha Offensive

• * Mogilev Offensive

• * Bobruysk Offensive: June 1944

• * Minsk Offensive

• * Polotsk Offensive

• * Šiauliai Offensive

• * Vilnius Offensive

• * Belostock Offensive: July 1944

• * Lublin–Brest Offensive

• * Kaunas Offensive

• * Osovets Offensive

• Battle of Tali-Ihantala

• Battle of the Bay of Viipuri: June–July 1944

• Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive

• Battle of Radzymin (1944)

• Warsaw Uprising

• * Battle of Jaktorów

• Battle of Studzianki

• Operation Doppelkopf

• Romanian campaign: August–December 1944

• * Jassy–Kishinev Offensive

• ** First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive

• *** Battle of Târgul Frumos

• **** First Battle of Târgu Frumos

• **** Second Battle of Târgu Frumos

• Slovak National Uprising

• Battle of the Dukla Pass

• Baltic Offensive

• * Riga Offensive (1944)

• * Tallinn Offensive

• ** Battle of Porkuni

• * Moonsund Landing Operation

• * Battle of Memel

• Belgrade Offensive

• Operation Nordlicht (1944–1945)

• Battle of Debrecen

• Operation Panzerfaust

• Courland Pocket

• Gumbinnen Operation

• Budapest Offensive: October 1944 – February 1945

• * Siege of Budapest: December 1944 – February 1945

• ** Operation Konrad

• Anti-Soviet resistance by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army: April 1944 – October 1945

• Vistula–Oder Offensive: January–February 1945

• * Battle of Poznań (1945)

• East Prussian Offensive

• * Heiligenbeil Pocket

• * Battle of Königsberg

• Defense of Schwedt Bridgehead

• Silesian Offensives

• * Lower Silesian Offensive

• ** Siege of Breslau: February–May 1945

• * Upper Silesian Offensive

• Operation Solstice

• East Pomeranian Offensive

• * Battle of Kolberg

• Operation Spring Awakening

• * Battle of the Transdanubian Hills

• Nagykanizsa–Körmend Offensive

• Vienna Offensive

• Bratislava–Brno offensive

• Samland Offensive

• Battle of Berlin: April–May 1945

• * Battle of the Oder-Neisse

• ** Battle of the Seelow Heights

• * Battle of Halbe

• Battle of Bautzen (1945): April 1945

• Prague Offensive

• Battle of Odzak: 19 April – 25 May 1945

Indian Ocean
• Japanese occupation of the Andaman Islands: 1942–1945

• Battle of Christmas Island: March–April 1942

• Indian Ocean raid: March–April 1942

• Easter Sunday Raid: April 1942

• Battle of Madagascar: May–November 1942

• Cocos Island Mutiny: May 1942

• Battle of La Réunion: November 1942

• Indian Ocean raid (1944): March 1944

Pacific Front
• Japanese attacks on the U.S. or U.S. unincorporated territories

• * Japanese occupation of Philippines: December 1941 – May 1942

• ** Battle of Bataan (1942), January–April 1942

• ** Battle of Corregidor: May 1942

• * Battle of Dutch Harbor: June 1942

• * Battle of Midway: June 1942

• * Japanese occupation of Kiska: June 1942

• * Japanese occupation of Attu: June 1942

• Japanese occupation of Dutch East Indies: December 1941 – March 1942

• * Battle of Borneo (1941–42)

• ** Battle of Tarakan (1942)

• ** Battle of Balikpapan (1942)

• * Battle of Manado (1942)

• * Battle of Ambon (1942)

• * Battle of Makassar Strait (1942)

• * Battle of Palembang (1942)

• * Battle of Badung Strait (1942)

• * Battle of Timor (1942–43)

• * Battle of the Java Sea (1942)

• * Battle of Sunda Strait (1942)

• * Battle of Java (1942)

• * Second Battle of the Java Sea (1942)

• Japanese Invasion of Rabaul, January–February 1942

• Japanese attacks on Australia: February–June 1942

• * Bombing of Darwin: February 1942

• * Attack on Broome: March 1942

• * Attack on Sydney Harbour: May–June 1942

• * Raid on Darwin: May 1943

• Japanese Invasion of Salamaua-Lae, March 1942

• Japanese Invasion of Tulagi, May 1942

• Battle of the Coral Sea, May 1942

• Battle of Midway, June 1942

• Japanese Invasion of Buna-Gona, July 1942

• Kokoda Track campaign, July–November 1942

• * Battle of Kokoda

• * Battle of Isurava, August 1942

• * First Battle of Eora Creek – Templeton's Crossing, August–September 1942

• * Battle of Mission Ridge – Brigade Hill,

• * Battle of Ioribaiwa, September 1942

• * Second Battle of Eora Creek – Templeton's Crossing, October 1942

• * Battle of Oivi–Gorari, November 1942

• Battle of Milne Bay, August–September 1942

• Guadalcanal Campaign: August 1942 – February 1943

• * Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu–Tanambogo, August 1942

• * Battle of Savo Island, August 1942

• * Makin Island raid, August 1942

• * Battle of the Tenaru: August 1942

• * Battle of the Eastern Solomons, August 1942

• * Battle of Edson's Ridge: September 1942

• * Actions along the Matanikau: September–October 1942

• * Battle of Cape Esperance, October 1942

• * Battle for Henderson Field: October 1942

• * Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, October 1942

• * Matanikau Offensive: November 1942

• * Koli Point action: November 1942

• * Carlson's Patrol: November–December 1942

• * Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. November 1942

• * Battle of Tassafaronga, November 1942

• * Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse: December 1942

• * Battle of Rennell Island: January 1943

• New Guinea campaign: October 1942 – August 1945

• * Battle of Goodenough Island, October 1942

• * Battle of Buna–Gona, November 1942 – January 1943

• * Battle of Wau, January 1943

• * Battle of the Bismarck Sea, March 1943

• * Salamaua–Lae campaign, April–September 1943

• ** Battle of Mubo, April–July 1943

• ** Battle of Bobdubi, April–August 1943

• ** Battle of Lababia Ridge, June 1943

• ** Landing at Nassau Bay, June–July 1943

• ** Battle of Roosevelt Ridge, July–August 1943

• ** Battle of Mount Tambu, July–August 1943

• ** Landing at Lae, September 1943

• ** Landing at Nadzab, September

• * Finisterre Range campaign, September 1943 – April 1944

• * Huon Peninsula campaign, September 1943 – March 1944

• ** Landing at Scarlet Beach, September–October 1943

• ** Battle of Finschhafen, September–October 1943

• ** Battle of Sattelberg, November 1943

• ** Battle of Wareo, November–December 1943

• ** Landing on Long Island, December 1943

• ** Battle of Sio, December 1943 – March 1944

• ** Landing at Saidor, January–February 1944

• ** Battle of Madang, February–April 1944

• * Bougainville Campaign, November 1943 – August 1945

• * New Britain campaign, December 1943 – August 1945

• * Battle of Cape Gloucester: December 1943 – April 1944

• * Admiralty Islands campaign, February–May 1944

• * Western New Guinea campaign, April 1944 – August 1945

• * Aitape–Wewak campaign, November 1944 – August 1945

• Aleutian Islands Campaign, March–August 1943

• * Battle of the Komandorski Islands: March 1943

• * Battle of Attu: May 1943

• Operation Vengeance: April 1943

• Solomon Islands Campaign, June–November 1943

• * New Georgia Campaign, June–August 1943

• * Battle of Kula Gulf: July 1943

• * Battle of Kolombangara: July 1943

• * Battle of Vella Gulf: August 1943

• * Land Battle of Vella Lavella: August–October 1943

• * Naval Battle of Vella Lavella: October 1943

• * Battle of Empress Augusta Bay: November 1943

• * Battle of Cape St. George: November 1943

• Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, November 1943 – February 1944

• * Battle of Tarawa, November 1943

• * Battle of Kwajalein, February 1944

• * Battle of Eniwetok, February 1944

• Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, June–November 1944

• * Battle of Saipan, June 1944

• * Battle of the Philippine Sea, June 1944

• * Battle of Guam (1944), July–August 1944

• * Battle of Tinian, July–August 1944

• * Battle of Peleliu, September–November 1944

• * Battle of Angaur, September–October 1944

• Battle of Noemfoor: July–August 1944

• Battle of Morotai: September–October 1944

• Philippines Campaign (1944–45): October 1944 – September 1945

• * Battle of Leyte: October–December 1944

• * Battle of Leyte Gulf: October 1944

• ** Battle off Samar: 25 October 1944

• ** Battle of Ormoc Bay: November–December 1944

• * Battle of Luzon: January–August 1945

• * Battle of Manila (1945): February–March 1945

• * Battle of Bacsil Ridge: March 1945

• * Battle of Mindanao: March–Aug 1945

• * Battle for Cebu City: March–Apr 1945

• Battle of Iwo Jima: February–March 1945

• Battle of Okinawa: April–June 1945

• Battle of Balikpapan (1945): July 1945

• Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: August 1945

• Soviet invasion of Manchuria August 1945

• * Battle of Mutanchiang August 1945

• * Seishin Operation

• * Soviet invasion of South Sakhalin

• * Invasion of the Kuril Islands

• Kyūjō incident

China Front
• 1931–1945 Sino-Japanese War (September 1931 – September 1945)

• * Japanese invasion of Manchuria September 1931 – February 1932

• ** Mukden Incident September 1931

• ** Jiangqiao campaign November 1931

• *** Resistance at Nenjiang Bridge November 1931

• ** Jinzhou Operation December 1931 – January 1932

• ** Defense of Harbin January 1932 – February 1932

• * January 28 incident January–March 1932

• * Pacification of Manchukuo November 1931 – February 1942

• * Inner Mongolian campaign April 1933 – December 1936

• ** Defense of the Great Wall February–March 1933

• *** Battle of Rehe February–March 1933

• ** Suiyuan campaign October–November 1936

• * Marco Polo Bridge Incident July 1937

• * Battle of Beiping–Tianjin July–August 1937

• * Battle of Shanghai August 1937

• ** Defense of Sihang Warehouse October 26, 1937

• * Beiping–Hankou Railway Operation August 1937

• * Tianjin–Pukou Railway Operation August 1937

• * Battle of Taiyuan September 1937

• ** Battle of Pingxingguan September 1937

• ** Battle of Xinkou September 1937

• * Battle of Nanjing December 1937

• * Battle of Xuzhou December 1937

• * Bombing of Chongqing February 1938 – August 1943

• * Taihoku Air Strike February 1938

• * Battle of Taierzhuang March 1938

• * Northern and Eastern Honan 1938 January 1938

• ** Battle of Lanfeng May 1938

• * Amoy Operation May 1938

• * Battle of Wuhan June 1938

• ** Battle of Wanjialing August 1938

• * Canton Operation October 1938

• * Hainan Island Operation February 1939

• * Battle of Nanchang March 1939

• * Battle of Suixian-Zaoyang May 1939

• * Swatow Operation June 1939

• * First Battle of Changsha September–October 1939

• * Battle of South Guangxi November 1939

• ** Battle of Kunlun Pass December 1939

• * 1939–1940 Winter Offensive November 1939

• ** Battle of West Suiyuan January–February 1940

• ** Battle of Wuyuan March 1940

• * Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang May 1940

• * Hundred Regiments Offensive August 1940

• * Central Hupei Operation November 1940

• * Battle of South Henan January 1941

• * New Fourth Army Incident January 1941

• * Western Hopei Operation March 1941

• * Battle of Shanggao March 1941

• * Battle of South Shanxi May 1941

• * Second Battle of Changsha September–October 1941

• Third Battle of Changsha December 1941 – January 1942

• * Battle of Zhejiang-Jiangxi May–September 1942

• * Battle of West Hubei May–June 1943

• * Linnan Campaign August 1943

• * Battle of Changde November–December 1943

• * Operation Ichi-Go April–December 1944

• ** Battle of Central Henan April 1944

• ** Fourth Battle of Changsha May–June 1944

• ** Defense of Hengyang June–August 1944

• ** Battle of Guilin–Liuzhou August–November 1944

• * Battle of Mount Song June–September 1944

• * Battle of West Henan–North Hubei March 1945 — May 1945

• * Battle of West Hunan April 1945 – June 1945

• * Second Guangxi Campaign April–August 1945

• * Soviet invasion of Manchuria August 1945

• ** Battle of Mutanchiang August 1945

Southeast Asia Front
• Japanese invasion of Thailand: December 1941

• * Battle of Prachuap Khiri Khan: December 1941

• Japanese-Thai occupation of Malaya: December 1941 – January 1942

• * Battle of Kota Bharu

• * Battle for the ledge

• * Naval Battle of Malaya

• * Battle of Jitra

• * Battle of Kampar

• * Battle of Slim River

• * Battle of Muar

• ** Battle of Gemas

• * Battle off Endau

• Bombing of Bangkok: 1942–1945

• Japanese occupation of Singapore: February 1942

• * Bombing of Singapore (1941)

• * Battle of Sarimbun Beach

• * Battle of Kranji

• * Battle of Bukit Timah

• * Battle of Pasir Panjang

• Burma Campaign

• * Japanese-Thai occupation of Burma: January–May 1942

• ** Bombing of Rangoon (1941–1942)

• ** Battle of Bilin River

• ** Battle of Sittang Bridge

• ** Battle of Pegu

• ** Taukkyan Roadblock

• ** Battle of Yunnan-Burma Road

• *** Battle of Tachiao

• *** Battle of Oktwin

• *** Battle of Toungoo

• *** Battle of Yenangyaung

• * Burma Campaign 1942–43

• ** Arakan Campaign 1942–1943

• ** Chindits Raid

• * Burma Campaign 1944

• ** Battle of the Admin Box

• ** Siege of Myitkyina

• * Japanese invasion of India: March–June 1944

• ** Battle of Imphal

• ** Battle of Sangshak

• ** Battle of Kohima

• * Burma Campaign 1944–1945

• ** Battle of Northern Burma and Western Yunnan

• ** Battle of Meiktila and Mandalay

• ** Battle of Pokoku and Irrawaddy River operations

• ** Battle of Hill 170

• ** Battle of Ramree Island

• ** Operation Dracula

• ** Battle of Elephant Point

• Allies bombing of South-East Asia: 1944–1945

• * Operation Matterhorn: 1944

• Battle of the Malacca Strait: May 1945

• Operation Tiderace: September 1945

Naval engagements
General
 * Arctic Convoys
 * Battle of the Atlantic – the name given to the conflict in the Atlantic Ocean between 1939 and 1945.
 * see also Timeline of the Battle of the Atlantic
 * Battle of the Mediterranean
 * Battle of the Indian Ocean

Specific

1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945
 * First Battle of Narvik
 * Second Battle of Narvik
 * Battle of Cape Matapan
 * Battle of Pearl Harbor
 * Battle of the Coral Sea
 * Battle of Midway
 * Battle of Guadalcanal
 * Battle of the Komandorski Islands
 * Battle of Leyte Gulf
 * Operation Ten-Go

Major bombing campaigns
General
 * Strategic bombing during World War II
 * Strategic bombing survey for the overall impact of the bombing.

Specific
 * Baedeker raids
 * Chungking
 * Coventry
 * Operation Retribution (1941) – bombing of Belgrade during 1941.
 * Broome – Japanese raid on the town of Broome, targeting the airfield.
 * Dresden
 * Darwin – Japanese target the harbour.
 * Hamburg
 * Helsinki – February 1944, was mostly ineffective due to air defence and deception.
 * Hiroshima – One nuclear weapon, Little Boy dropped from a B-29, devastating a city.
 * Kassel
 * London – "The Blitz" and the V-1 and V-2 campaigns
 * Lübeck
 * Nagasaki – One nuclear weapon, Fat Man dropped from a B-29, devastating a city.
 * Narva – March 1944. Evacuated town was destroyed by Soviet ADD.
 * Pearl Harbor
 * Rostock – Heinkel Airplane Construction Plant, Seaport, and City
 * Rotterdam
 * Stalingrad – 23 August 1942
 * Tallinn – February–March 1944. Bombed by Soviet ADD. Large-scale damage.
 * Tokyo – Several devastating raids.
 * Warsaw

Raids
Small to medium-sized raiding operations were carried out by both Allied and Axis armies during World War II. The modus operandi used included guerrilla attacks by partisans in occupied territory and/or combined operations involving the landing and removal of specialised light infantry, such as commandos, by means of small boats.
 * Allied
 * Operation Colossus
 * 10 February 1941
 * Experimental raid by 38 British Commandos on a fresh water aqueduct near Calitri in southern Italy.
 * Operation Claymore
 * 4 March 1941
 * 1000 Men from the British Commandos and belonging to the Norwegian Independent Company 1 destroy fish oil factories on the remote islands off the coast of Norway.
 * Operation Archery
 * 27 December 1941
 * 570 men from the British Commandos and belonging to the Norwegian Independent Company 1 raid and attack German positions on Vågsøy Island in Norway.
 * Battle of Timor
 * 19 February 1942 – 10 February 1943
 * Continuous raids from Australian commandos against the occupying Japanese.
 * Operation Chariot
 * 28 March 1942
 * 196 Royal Navy and Army Commando units raid and destroy the heavily defended docks of St. Nazaire in occupied France.
 * Dieppe Raid
 * 19 August 1942
 * Over 6,000 infantrymen, mostly Canadian attempted to seize and hold the port of Dieppe.
 * Makin Island raid, 17–18 August 1942
 * Operation Jaywick, September 1943
 * Operation Jedburgh, 1944
 * Operation Roast, April 1945
 * Axis
 * Operation Greif, December 1944

Raiding units
 * Allied
 * Multinational
 * Chindits
 * Devil's Brigade
 * Z Special Unit
 * Popski's Private Army
 * Gideon Force
 * Australia
 * Australian Army Independent Companies
 * France
 * Far East French Expeditionary Forces
 * Intervention Light Corps
 * Greece
 * Sacred Band
 * United Kingdom
 * Long Range Desert Group
 * Special Air Service
 * Royal Marines
 * Special Operations Executive
 * British Army Commandos
 * Layforce
 * British Paratroopers
 * United States
 * Marine Raiders
 * US Army Rangers
 * Alamo Scouts
 * Merrill's Marauders
 * Axis
 * Nazi Germany
 * Brandenburger Regiment
 * Waffen-SS (commando force led by Otto Skorzeny).
 * Fascist Italy
 * Decima Flottiglia MAS
 * Empire of Japan
 * Special Naval Landing Forces

Defensive lines

 * Atlantic Wall
 * Caesar Line
 * GHQ Line
 * Gothic Line
 * Gustav Line
 * Maginot Line
 * Mannerheim Line
 * Metaxas Line
 * Siegfried Line
 * Taunton Stop Line

Contemporaneous wars

 * Chinese Civil War
 * Ecuadorian–Peruvian War
 * Greek Civil War
 * Second Italo-Abyssinian War
 * Soviet-Japanese Border War (1939)
 * Spanish Civil War
 * Afghan tribal revolts of 1944–1947