military operation, operation - activity by a military or naval force (as a maneuver or campaign); "it was a joint operation of the navy and air force"

ground attack - an attack by ground troops

assault - close fighting during the culmination of a military attack

charge - a impetuous rush toward someone or something; "the wrestler's charge carried him past his adversary"; "the battle began with a cavalry charge"

banzai attack, banzai charge - a mass attack of troops without concern for casualties; originated by Japanese who accompanied it with yells of `banzai'

diversionary attack, diversion - an attack calculated to draw enemy defense away from the point of the principal attack

penetration, incursion - an attack that penetrates into enemy territory

blitz - a rapid and violent military attack with intensive aerial bombardment

strike - an attack that is intended to seize or inflict damage on or destroy an objective; "the strike was scheduled to begin at dawn"

counterattack, countermove - an attack by a defending force against an attacking enemy force in order to regain lost ground or cut off enemy advance units etc.

bombing, bombardment - an attack by dropping bombs

firing, fire - the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy; "hold your fire until you can see the whites of their eyes"; "they retreated in the face of withering enemy fire"

strafe - an attack of machine-gun fire or cannon fire from a low flying airplane; "the next morning they carried out a strafe of enemy airfields"

coup de main, surprise attack - an attack without warning

armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker"

surge, upsurge, rush, spate - a sudden forceful flow