'Spoof' was the British overall designation of any diversionary air raid by light bombers, each carrying only a small bomb load to maximise its speed and range, to draw the attention of the German defences, and especially night fighters, away from the area of major raids (22 September 1943/May 1945).

The first such undertaking took place on 22/23 September 1943, when a small number of 'spoofing' sorties were flown against Oldenburg to distract German attentions from the main target, which was Hanover.