 Once Feuillaucourt had fallen , the 24th Battalion continued to the Péronne road . However , the Germans had occupied a copse of trees and put up strong resistance , halting the advance . German troops were observed massing for a counter @-@ attack , so Towner moved forward with several of his men , two Vickers guns , and the captured German gun , and brought the assembling Germans under concentrated fire , inflicting many casualties . Attempting to retire , a party of twenty @-@ five German soldiers were cut off by Towner 's guns and taken prisoner . Under heavy incoming fire , Towner then scouted over open terrain to locate advantageous positions from which his guns could offer further support . When he moved his section forward , the machine gunners were able to engage more groups of German soldiers ; their aggressive action enabled the advance to be renewed , and the battalion attained the cover of a sunken section of the Péronne road . However , on rejoining them Towner found that his section was growing short of ammunition , so he made his way back across the fire @-@ swept ground and located a German machine gun , which he brought forward along with several boxes of ammunition . This he brought into action " in full view of the enemy " ; his effective fire forced the Germans to retire further , and allowed one of the stalled Australian flanks to push ahead . 
