A forlorn hope is a band of soldiers or other combatants chosen to take the leading part in a military operation, such as an assault on a defended position, where the risk of casualties is high. ==Etymology== The term comes from the Dutch verloren hoop, literally `lost troop`. The Dutch word `hoop` can mean `hope` but is in this context etym...
First storming party into a breach, usually volunteers under a junior officer, who drew enemy fire. Officers and sergeants who survived were usually rewarded with promotion.
Volunteers to conduct first attack on fortifications.
A Forlorn Hope was a body of men, usually volunteers, of different regiments selected to lead an assault, enter a breach or perform another perilous task. The name comes from the Dutch word hoop meaning a company.
[n] - a hopeless or desperate enterprise
noun a hopeless or desperate enterprise
a perilous or desperate enterprise. · a vain hope. · a group of soldiers assigned to perform some unusually dangerous service.