Coup de main

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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[]

References[]

  1. ^ "the definition of coup de main". www.dictionary.com.
  2. ^ In French, coup de main can also mean "a helping hand" (informal language), or "know-how" by common usage
  3. ^ Coup de Main Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine, DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms
  4. ^ Académie française (1765). Dictionnaire de l'Académie françoise. Chez les Libraires associés. p. 291.
  5. ^ Perry, Mike (9 December 2012). "Operation Tonga". SOFREP. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  6. ^ Fowler, Will (2010). Pegasus Bridge: Bénouville, D-Day 1944. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 9781846038488.
  7. ^ "Bloody Horror of Upton's Charge". 9 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Homepage". Retrieved 2016-06-21.
  9. ^ "SUROS". Retrieved 2018-05-19.

External links[]

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