 On the morning of 5 January , the 19th Infantry Brigade launched its attack on the Meriega sector , starting from the Bardia road and following a creeping barrage southward with the support of six Matilda tanks , all that remained in working order . The others had been hit by shells , immobilised by mines , or had simply broken down . The company commanders of the lead battalion , the 2 / 11th Infantry Battalion , did not receive their final orders until 45 minutes before start time , at which point the start line was 3 miles ( 4 @.@ 8 km ) away . As a consequence , the battalion arrived late , and the intended two company attack had to be carried out by just one : Captain Ralph Honner 's C Company , albeit with all six Matildas at his disposal . Honner 's men had to literally chase the barrage , and had only just caught up with it before it ceased . As they advanced , they came under fire from the left , the right , and in front of them , but casualties were light . Most positions surrendered when the infantry and tanks came close , but this did not reduce the fire from posts further away . By 1115 , C Company had reached the Switch Line and captured Post R5 and then R7 . B Company , following on the left , cleared Wadi Meriega , capturing Lieutenant General Ruggero Tracchia and Brigadier General Alessandro de Guidi , the commanders of the 62nd and 63rd Infantry Divisions respectively . At this point , Honner stopped to consolidate his position and allow Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Dougherty 's 2 / 4th Infantry Battalion to pass through . However , Honner took the surrender of Posts 1 , 2 and 3 and his men did not stop advancing . 
