On 3 June 1942, the Japanese raid on Dutch Harbor in the Aleutians was a ruse -a diversion- while the main blow was aimed at Midway (attacked the next day).
In Wag the Dog, the invented war is a ruse—a diversion—meant to distract the public from the political scandal.
The cavalry charge was a ruse—a diversion—meant to draw the enemy away from the bridge while the infantry crossed.
The Trojan horse was a famous ruse: a “gift” of wood that hid soldiers and opened the gates of Troy from within.
At the Battle of Salamis, Themistocles used a ruse—a deceptive message—to lure the Persian fleet into the narrow straits.