465:. However, before the rendezvous both columns encountered resistance. Captain Livingston was the first to engage the rebels. While just 1,500 yards (1,400 m) south of Quilali, he was attacked by approximately 200 Sandinistas well concealed behind rocks and foliage. After an eighty-minute battle the rebels retreated, though they managed to kill five Marines and two of the guards; twenty-three others were wounded. Livingston then proceeded into Quilali without further opposition. On the same day, Lieutenant Richal's men were 22 miles (35 km) away from Telpaneca when they engaged in a twenty-minute skirmish with about fifty rebels, but the rebels were beaten off. One Marine was wounded in the engagement and the rebels are not believed to have suffered any casualties. After that Richal's small force continued towards the rendezvous and, on 1 January 1928, another battle was fought six miles (10 km) northwest of Quilali.
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453:. There was much rebel activity in the area so the American Marines and the Nicaraguan Guardsmen had no choice but to destroy the fortifications. Accordingly, two columns were dispatched on this mission, one under Captain Richard Livingston, composed of 115 men, and the second under First Lieutenant Merton A. Richal, composed of sixty-five men. Captain Livingston was in
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defeated troops and besieged
Quilali for a few days, which forced the Marines and guardsmen to abandon the expedition to El Chipote. During the battle Lieutenant Bruce was the only fatality although Richal was seriously wounded when he was hit in the eye by a bullet, three others were also wounded while an estimated twenty rebels were killed. Richal later received a
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A. T. Hunt, to reinforce the column. This force of about twenty men arrived at Las Cruces Hill at 2:15 pm, after the fighting was over. Both Richal and Hunt's men camped on the hill for the night. On the next day, they proceeded into
Quilali without opposition. Meanwhile, Sandino reinforced his
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positioned some distance up the trail. Richal ordered his men to form a skirmish line and he also noted that most of the fire, at that point, was coming from his right flank against the main body while a few rebels on his left flank were engaging both his main body and the rear guard. Though the
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At about 12:30 pm, the column was marching single file up the trail, when suddenly it was fired on by the
Sandinistas from well entrenched positions at and around Las Cruces Hill, also called Sapotial Hill in the American report of the encounter. The location had been the scene of a rebel
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loaded with ammunition were captured, as well as battle plans and a code book for communicating with
American aircraft. Captain Livingston, knowing Richal was likely to run into an ambush during the march, sent a
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505:. The Sandinistas then charged and forced the Marines and Guardsmen back fifty yards placing the latter within the protection of their 3-inch
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performed the first evacuation of wounded by air, when he made ten missions to an improvised strip 200 feet long and 100 feet wide.
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Thomas G. Bruce who was serving as a lieutenant and commander of the
Nicaraguan Guardsmen. His body was later found stripped and
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aircraft detected the fortress of El
Chipote, which was the main base of the Sandinista rebels, located near the border with
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and, after a long battle, the
Americans and Nicaraguans routed the Sandinistas and captured their positions.
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and his orders were to leave on 19 December 1927, and meet with Richal's column, which was marching from
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American naval history: an illustrated chronology of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775–present
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678:"The Sandino Rebellion ▪ PC-Docs ▪ 28.01.04b ▪ Brown, Engagement with Bandits at Las Cruces"
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machine gun used by the marines eventually jammed, rifle fire and that of the
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was in command of the rebels and he had about 400 men armed with several
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Battles and operations of the United States occupation of
Nicaragua
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which then opened up against the hill along with a 37-millimeter
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arrived on scene and began strafing the retreating rebels.
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were attacked by a superior force of rebels entrenched on
700:"Navy Cross Awards during the 2nd Nicaraguan Campaign"
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784:20th-century military history of the United States
522:successfully held off further Sandinista attacks.
733:. Washington D. C.: US Marines Historical Branch.
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639:, 1990, New York: MacMillan Publishing Co.,
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731:The United States Marines in Nicaragua
47:A plan of the battle by Merton Richal.
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407:, was a major engagement during the
574:for his conduct in the engagement.
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702:. Homeofheroes.com. Archived from
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164:174 marines & national guard
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445:During November 1927, marine
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431:Nicaraguan National Guardsmen
742:. US Naval Institute Press.
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474:victory two months earlier.
228:U.S. occupation of Nicaragua
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401:Second Battle of Las Cruces
81:American-Nicaraguan victory
23:Second Battle of Las Cruces
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729:Nalty, Bernard C. (1968).
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738:Sweetman, Jack (2002).
565:of sharpshooters under
30:Occupation of Nicaragua
680:. Sandinorebellion.com
554:Lewis automatic rifles
485:, rifles, pistols and
154:Col. Francisco Estrada
132:Commanders and leaders
542:Augusto César Sandino
427:United States Marines
405:New Year's Day Battle
178:Casualties and losses
706:on November 14, 2011
274:Nicaraguan Civil War
144:Lt. Merton A. Richal
794:January 1928 events
774:1928 in Nicaragua
769:Conflicts in 1928
655:Sweetman, pg. 137
567:Second Lieutenant
556:and sixteen pack
511:Lewis machine gun
479:Francisco Estrada
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524:Gunnery Sergeant
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60:1 January 1928
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708:. Retrieved
704:the original
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682:. Retrieved
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552:, forty-six
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483:machine guns
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347:El Bramadero
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298:San Fernando
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90:Belligerents
46:
28:Part of the
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789:Banana Wars
591:Banana Wars
515:field piece
380:Augua Carta
342:2nd Quilali
323:1st Quilali
303:Santa Clara
166:1 field gun
126:Sandinistas
34:Banana Wars
763:Categories
723:References
645:0025882104
572:Navy Cross
495:pine trees
441:Background
420:Sandinista
412:occupation
313:Sapotillal
185:31 wounded
170:2 biplanes
537:Aftermath
520:artillery
503:mutilated
459:Telpaneca
416:Nicaragua
403:, or the
308:Telpaneca
188:20 killed
116:Nicaragua
71:Nicaragua
710:July 11,
684:July 11,
585:See also
546:machetes
531:biplanes
499:Sergeant
493:made of
491:parapets
487:dynamite
455:Jinotega
451:Honduras
423:fortress
409:American
385:El Sauce
183:8 killed
168:1 mortar
159:Strength
65:Location
563:platoon
476:Colonel
463:Quilali
366:Achuapa
352:La Flor
267:1926–27
250:Granada
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643:
509:and a
469:Battle
293:Ocotal
255:Masaya
113:
101:
78:Result
602:Notes
558:mules
461:, at
744:ISBN
712:2011
686:2011
641:ISBN
577:Lt.
429:and
399:The
373:1932
359:1930
330:1928
281:1927
243:1912
57:Date
414:of
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669:^
626:^
610:^
32:,
752:.
714:.
688:.
217:e
210:t
203:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
