Coup de main
A coup de main (pronounced [ku də mɛ̃]; 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.
Definition[]
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 Tonga.[5][6]
Examples[]
Emory Upton used the tactic for the Union Army during the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse.[7]
During the Second Battle of Porto, Arthur Wellesley crossed the Douro in a coup de main attack upon the French forces of Marshal Soult.
In popular media[]
- A popular magazine from New Zealand, Coup de Main, is named after the term .[8]
- The ornament for the Exotic auto rifle, "SUROS Regime", in the video game "Destiny 2" is called Coup de Main [9]
See also[]
- Battle of Fort Eben-Emael
- Blitzkrieg
- Coup d'état
- Coup de grâce
- Leadership spill (can be considered a political application of the concept)
- Raid on Drvar
- Siege
- Tatsinskaya Raid
References[]
- ^ "the definition of coup de main". www.dictionary.com.
- ^ In French, coup de main can also mean "a helping hand" (informal language), or "know-how" by common usage
- ^ Coup de Main Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine, DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms
- ^ Académie française (1765). Dictionnaire de l'Académie françoise. Chez les Libraires associés. p. 291.
- ^ Perry, Mike (9 December 2012). "Operation Tonga". SOFREP. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
- ^ Fowler, Will (2010). Pegasus Bridge: Bénouville, D-Day 1944. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 9781846038488.
- ^ "Bloody Horror of Upton's Charge". 9 January 2018.
- ^ "Homepage". Retrieved 2016-06-21.
- ^ "SUROS". Retrieved 2018-05-19.
External links[]
- Assault tactics