- Coup de main
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A coup de main 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. [1] ” The literal translation from French means a stroke or blow of the hand.[2] The term coup de main originally meant "by direct assault rather than by artillery".[3]
The very first airborne assault in the World War II Battle 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
References
- ^ Coup de Main, DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms
- ^ In French, coup de main can also mean "a helping hand" (informal language), or "know-how".
- ^ Dictionnaire de l'Académie françoise (1765)
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