 The assault troops rose early on 3 January 1941 , ate a meal and drank a tot of rum . The leading companies began moving to the start line at 0416 . The artillery opened fire at 0530 . On crossing the start line the 2 / 1st Infantry Battalion , under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Eather , came under Italian mortar and artillery fire . The lead platoons advanced accompanied by sappers of the 2 / 1st Field Company carrying Bangalore torpedoes — 12 @-@ foot ( 3 @.@ 7 m ) pipes packed with ammonal — as Italian artillery fire began to land , mainly behind them . An Italian shell exploded among a leading platoon and detonated a Bangalore torpedo , resulting in four killed and nine wounded . The torpedoes were slid under the barbed wire at 60 yards ( 55 m ) intervals . A whistle was blown as a signal to detonate the torpedoes but could not be heard over the din of the barrage . Colonel Eather became anxious and ordered the engineering party nearest him to detonate their torpedo . This the other teams heard , and they followed suit . 
