The Battle of Telpaneca was an engagement fought during the United States occupation of Nicaragua in 1927. At about 1:00 am on September 19, a force of around 200 rebel troops, loyal to Augusto César Sandino, attacked the small garrison of Telpaneca under the command of Marine First Lieutenant Herbert S. Keimling. Keimling's garrison included twenty men of the 5th Marines and a force of twenty-five Nicaraguan National Guardsmen. The first sound of the fight occurred when a rebel soldier tossed an improvised explosive at the marine barracks but it exploded without hurting anyone and only served to alert the sleeping garrison. Not long after the bombing the rebels opened up with rifle fire while the garrison was still dressing themselves. The rebels then charged the barracks under cover of f