 The following day , 19 November , the Australians came up against a series of prepared defences which further slowed their progress . Throughout the night the Japanese had dug a number of anti @-@ tank ditches , about 6 feet ( 1 @.@ 8 m ) wide and 4 feet ( 1 @.@ 2 m ) deep , which Australian engineers had to fill before the tanks could continue . Progress was made , however , and amidst hand @-@ to @-@ hand fighting troops from the 2 / 48th managed to seize part of the 2 @,@ 600 feature ( Steeple Tree Hill ) , after engineers under the command of Lieutenant ( later Captain ) Augustus Spry , helped clear the way through the use of two fougasses that were fashioned out of 4 @-@ gallon drums filled with petrol , which were exploded in order to stun the Japanese and provide a smoke screen while the infantry attacked . The Japanese launched a counter @-@ attack as dusk fell , but this was repelled with heavy losses : the Australians had 20 men killed or wounded , while the Japanese left behind 46 killed , as well as a number of machine @-@ guns and mortars , as they withdrew from the position . The 2 / 23rd Battalion to the south , up against the same defensive system that was delaying the 2 / 48th , was also held up further , while on the northern route , the 2 / 24th found the 2 @,@ 200 feature unoccupied , but was unable to proceed further after they came under heavy machine @-@ gun and artillery fire . 
