 Wootten had predicted this , based upon documents that had been captured by the Australians , and Brigadier Selwyn Porter 's 24th Brigade had thoroughly prepared for the onslaught . The 79th Infantry Regiment crossed the Song River and attacked Scarlet Beach from the west , while the 2nd Battalion , 238th Infantry Regiment , which had been detached from the 41st Division , attacked south from Gusika . By using infiltration tactics the Japanese skirted around the lead elements of the 24th Brigade in an attack that was intended to roll up the Australian rear elements , however , the Australians in turn attacked the flanks of the Japanese units , mauling their supply columns and inflicting heavy casualties upon them . This had the effect of squeezing the strength out of the Japanese counterattack and forcing them into undertaking piecemeal attacks which were dealt with by the Australians with relative ease . As a result , although the fighting around Scarlet Beach continued until 28 November when the Japanese units that had been involved were withdrawn towards Wareo , it did not have the urgency to affect the 26th Brigade 's advance on Sattelberg and was largely broken up by 23 November . 
