 The main German attack was focused upon the 22nd Battalion which was defending the airfield . Hard pressed , late in the day the 22nd requested reinforcements and the 5th Infantry Brigade commander , Brigadier J. Hargest , sent one company from the 23rd and one from the 28th . The task was given to ' B ' Company and , as the company commander only knew the direct route , they had a night approach march of over 8 miles ( 13 km ) to cover . During the march they came in contact with a platoon @-@ sized force of Germans which briefly held up the company before reinforcements could arrive . The German force surrendered , but in doing so one of their number threw a grenade at the New Zealanders , wounding two men . In response the Māoris fixed bayonets and carried out the first bayonet charge by a New Zealand force during the war , killing 24 . A short while later they killed another eight in a separate engagement . Continuing on towards the 22nd Battalion , they bumped into a number of small pockets of Germans before eventually linking up with the 22nd Battalion 's headquarters where they were told to return to their own lines as the decision had been made to withdraw from the airfield . Eleven hours later the company reported back to the 28th Battalion 's lines . 
