Indian Ocean in World War II

Axis naval forces operated throughout the Indian Ocean during World War II (1939–45). These activities included unrestricted submarine warfare, airstrikes by aircraft carriers, covert raiding ships, capital ships and raids by land-based heavy bombers. Forces of the Imperial Japanese Navy, German Kriegsmarine and Italian Regia Marina struck at Allied targets in and off countries including Australia, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), British India, Madagascar and South Africa.

List of sub-theatres and actions

 * Australia
 * Axis naval activity in Australian waters
 * Western Australian emergency of March 1944
 * Air raids on Australia, 1942–43


 * Britain
 * Cocos Islands Mutiny


 * France
 * Battle of La Réunion
 * Battle of Madagascar


 * Germany
 * Monsun Gruppe
 * German auxiliary cruisers


 * Japan
 * Japanese occupation of the Andaman Islands
 * Homfreyganj massacre
 * Battle of Christmas Island
 * Japanese raiders in the Indian Ocean Campaign
 * Indian Ocean raid (1942)
 * Easter Sunday Raid
 * Indian Ocean raid (1944)