coup-de-main

I even have a non-canon “what if” if the Venezuelans had not surrendered and we have been force to do a “coup-de-main” at Gitmo.

Cheeseburger Gothic » Thinking about writing small iPhone novels. 2009

Now the British Lion found that the town of St. Malo — which he had proposed to swallow at a single mouthful — was guarded by an army of French, which the Governor of Brittany had brought to the succour of his good town, and the meditated coup-de-main being thus impossible, our leaders marched for their ships again, which lay duly awaiting our warriors in the Bay of St. Cas.

The Virginians 2006

Marius took it by a coup-de-main, and put all the inhabitants to the sword.

Travels in Morocco 2003

Fez, for it is not a strong military possession; on the contrary, it is commanded by accessible heights and is exposed to a coup-de-main.

Travels in Morocco 2003

An attempt to storm the city by a coup-de-main on May 31 failed, and by June 3, Mantua was fully besieged by Sérurier and Augereau assisted by Dallemagne, Lannes and General Kilmaine of the cavalry.

THE CAMPAIGNS OF NAPOLEON DAVID G. CHANDLER 1966

An attempt to storm the city by a coup-de-main on May 31 failed, and by June 3, Mantua was fully besieged by Sérurier and Augereau assisted by Dallemagne, Lannes and General Kilmaine of the cavalry.

THE CAMPAIGNS OF NAPOLEON DAVID G. CHANDLER 1966

Fifteen days after, the army besieged Furnes; and Boutteville commanded the colonel of a regiment to find a man steady and intrepid for a coup-de-main, which he wanted, promising a hundred pistoles as a reward.

The Book of Three Hundred Anecdotes Historical, Literary, and Humorous—A New Selection Various

These were the reserves, consisting of the Old and Young Guards, and amounting to twelve thousand -- the _élite_ of the French army -- reserved by the Emperor for a great _coup-de-main_.

The Ontario Readers: The High School Reader, 1886 Ontario. Ministry of Education

-- Ghuznee was taken this morning by a coup-de-main, the whole affair was over in half an hour from the time the gate was blown open; there was, however, a good deal of firing afterwards, and some of the inhabitants even held out throughout the day, and caused almost as much loss as that which occurred in the storm.

Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries William Griffith

As the avenue was the only approach accessible to cavalry, and as this was the force which would probably be used for a _coup-de-main_, if it were to be attempted at all, I set all hands to work to secure it.

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 56, Number 347, September, 1844 Various