Night operations are military activity performed in the very low light environments, typically at night. Due to restricted visibility, until recently night operations were among the most difficult for troops to perform tasks and carry out missions, and were rarely undertaken.
The shinobi of feudal Japan were experts of night operation.
In 1453, the Byzantines launched a night attack during the Fall of Constantinople, using a powder keg to blow up a Turkish siege tower.
In 1462, during a Turkish invasion of Wallachia, Voievode Vlad III Dracula launched The Night Attack, with great tactical success.
Carl von Clausewitz in his classic On War briefly describes night operations, and points out the difficulties of launching them. There are many psychological factors that influence night operations.
The Soviet Union made the widest use of night operations during World War II as a means of securing the element of surprise.