Forlorn Hope

The Forlorn Hope, derived from the Dutch "Verloren Hoop," was a special suicide squad that made its first appearance in the 30 Years War. Comprising criminals on punishment duty, deserters, disgraced soldiers seeking to regain their honor, and idealistic young officers hoping for rapid promotion, this unit was sent ahead of the main force during sieges to clear a path for the sappers. These were still being used by the Germans and Russians to clear minefields during WWII and, as you might expect, few survived

That's right. Once the troops got through the walls of Badajoz they put the townspeople to the sword. The image above depicts the Forlorn Hope leading the British assault