 Initially , the New Zealand attack progressed well , but the German defenders regained their <unk> and the attack lost momentum against heavily fortified defensive positions . By 21 : 00 , the NZ 24th Infantry Battalion had fought its way in slow house to house fighting to the centre of the town , but were pinned down with no prospect of further progress without significant armoured support . However , a combination of concealed minefields and well dug in German armour made the task of the Allied tanks impossible . In the early hours of 8 December , the New Zealand commander — Bernard Freyberg — ordered a withdrawal from the town with a view to renewing the attack after further <unk> up from artillery and bombers . 
