 Two weeks later , on the night 19 / 20 April 1943 , the battalion took part in the 5th Infantry Brigade 's attack on the Tunisian village of Takrouna . The village was situated atop a steep slope , and the attack stalled due to heavy concentrations of indirect fire and landmines , which wounded a number of men , including the commanding officer . Nevertheless , two sections under the command of Sergeant Haane te Rauawa Manahi , managed to scale the western side of the escarpment and gain a foothold on the pinnacle in the early dawn . Following heavy shellfire and hand @-@ to @-@ hand combat with the Italian defenders , the Māoris were forced off the pinnacle twice ; each time , though , Manahi led his small force in a counterattack . In the afternoon , Manahi and two other men captured a number of machine gun and mortar positions , encircling the Italians and forcing them to surrender . For these actions , Manahi was also recommended for a Victoria Cross , but the nomination was not approved and he received a Distinguished Conduct Medal instead . 
