What was the name of the German plan to invade Great Britain?

The German plan to invade Great Britain was called Operation Sea Lion. In German, its codename was Unternehmen Seelöwe, meaning “Operation Sea Lion.” Nazi Germany developed the plan in 1940 after the fall of France gave German forces control of much of the English Channel coast.

The invasion depended on two conditions: Germany needed to weaken or defeat the Royal Air Force and gain enough naval control of the English Channel to protect troop transports. German planners prepared landing sites, assembled barges, and designed an initial assault involving several divisions.

The plan was never carried out. Britain retained control of the air after the Battle of Britain, and the German navy could not guarantee safe passage across the Channel. Adolf Hitler postponed the invasion indefinitely on 17 September 1940, and preparations later faded as Germany turned toward the invasion of the Soviet Union.

Operation Barbarossa was the 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union. Operation Felix concerned a proposed German move against Gibraltar, while Operation Nordwind was a 1945 offensive in Alsace.