I think "Enfants Perdus" works well because it denotes:

- something of a suicide mission (or at least getting rid of undesirables)

- entails a proving ground of sorts - if successful: profit, etc. 

- The translation is "Lost Children" which I believe surmises the main character of the story completely.

From wikipedia:

A forlorn hope is a band of soldiers or other combatants chosen to take the leading part in a military operation, such as an assault on a defended position, where the risk of casualties is high. Such a band is also known as the enfants perdus (lit. "Lost Children")

The French equivalent of the forlorn hope, called Les Enfants Perdus ('The Lost Children'), were all guaranteed promotion to officer rank should they survive. Both enlisted men and officers joined the dangerous mission as an opportunity to raise themselves in the army.