 The incident alerted the remainder of the Australians and the company prepared for action . Considering it unlikely that the dead men had been alone , O 'Donnell assessed that the remainder of a Viet Cong squad was located somewhere further along the track and he subsequently requested artillery fire to block any escape , while 2 Platoon was ordered to sweep forward . Under the command of Second Lieutenant Graham Ross , 2 Platoon commenced its advance before coming under automatic fire 100 metres ( 110 yd ) along the track by a Viet Cong squad which then went to ground after the Australians returned fire . Attempting to take the initiative , Ross began to manoeuvre for a quick attack , moving two sections to the high ground on the right flank , while the third section provided fire support . Meanwhile , the Viet Cong force , which turned out to be larger than first thought by the Australians , also attempted a flanking manoeuvre , moving one squad into a defensive position while two squads moved to their left flank . Deploying to the high ground at about the same time the two assault groups came face to face and a fierce fire @-@ fight followed at close range , with both sides throwing grenades in an attempt to gain the initiative . Two Australians were killed and several more were wounded in the initial clashes . 
