 Prior to the attack on Sattelberg , the Australians needed reinforcements . Although initially the Allied higher commanders were reluctant to provide these , on 25 October the Militia 4th Brigade was detached from the 5th Division and placed under the operational control of the 9th Division . These troops were subsequently used in a defensive role around the beachhead to free up the rest of the 9th Division for the offensive operations . The 2 / 43rd Battalion , from the 24th Brigade , was also brought up on 30 September , ahead of the rest of the brigade which arrived later in October . Nevertheless , by the end of September , the Allies perceived the situation around Finschhafen to be " reasonably secure " , and American engineer and construction units , including the 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion , started to arrive in October . By December they had begun work constructing an airfield and other base facilities around Dreger Harbour . Following this , Wootten began finalising his plans for assaulting Sattelberg . Because the 20th Brigade had borne the brunt of the fighting following the landing in September , the 26th Brigade , which had landed at Langemak Bay on the night of 20 October under Brigadier David Whitehead , was chosen to spearhead the attack . At the same time , the 20th and 24th Brigades , operating in the central and northern sectors , would continue patrolling operations in order to keep the Japanese off balance . 
