Coup de main
A coup de main (pronounced: [ku də mε̃]; plural: coups de main, French for blow with the hand[1] [2]) is a swift attack that relies on speed and surprise to accomplish its objectives in a single blow. The United States Department of Defense defines it as "An offensive operation that capitalizes on surprise and simultaneous execution of supporting operations to achieve success in one swift stroke." [3]
The term coup de main originally meant "by direct assault rather than by artillery".[4]
The first Allied airborne assault in World War II, during the invasion of Normandy, on Pegasus Bridge, is an example of a coup de main operation and is sometimes referred to as Operation Coup de Main though the actual code name for the British airborne attack was Operation Deadstick.
See also
- Blitzkrieg
- Battle of Fort Eben-Emael
- Japanese coup de main in French Indochina
- Raid on Drvar
- Tatsinskaya Raid
- Coup d'état
- Coup de grâce
- Leadership spill (Can be considered a political application of the concept)
- Siege
References
- ↑ coup de main on Dictionary.com
- ↑ In French, coup de main can also mean "a helping hand" (informal language), or "know-how" by common usage
- ↑ Coup de Main, DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms
- ↑ Dictionnaire de l'Académie françoise (1765)
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