 During the course of the fighting around the <unk> , the Australians lost 38 men killed and 159 wounded , while the Japanese lost at least 275 men killed . Following the battle , the Australians continued their advance towards <unk> at the southern end of the island . Throughout the remainder of the month and into June , the 15th Brigade advanced along the <unk> Road , crossing the <unk> on 10 June . Beyond the river , the Japanese resolved to hold the food growing areas in order to protect their precarious food supply , and they consequently occupied a series of deep <unk> . These were steadily reduced with airstrikes and artillery , and the 15th Brigade subsequently crossed <unk> River before being relieved by Brigadier Noel Simpson 's 29th Brigade in early July . 
