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:
The literal translation from
French
means a stroke or blow of the hand. The term
coup de main
originally meant "by direct assault rather than by
artillery".
The very
first airborne assault in the 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
this is incorrect -- the code name for the British airborne attacks
was Operation Tonga.
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