 Meanwhile , Captain G. H. Halliday 's D Company moved southwards against Post 19 . He drew the defenders ' attention with a demonstration by one platoon in front of the post while the rest of the company moved around the post and attacked silently from the rear . This maneuver took the defenders by surprise and D Company captured the post — and 73 prisoners — at 0230 . Halliday repeated this tactic against Post 14 , which was taken at 0400 with 64 prisoners . Capturing the two posts cost one Australian killed and seven wounded . A third attempt against Post 17 failed : the previous attacks had alerted the post and D Company came under heavy mortar and machine gun fire . A furious battle raged until the post fell shortly before dawn . Another 103 Italians were captured at a cost of two Australians killed and nine wounded . Between casualties and men detached as prisoner escorts , D Company strength fell to 46 men , and Halliday elected to halt for the night . 
