Eighth Army had declared the hilltop village of Takrouna, the major objective of Operation Oration, secure. But once again, the Italian Trieste Division ignored them and set out to take it back. Under the cover of heavy nighttime shelling, the Italians infiltrated the Kiwi lines and ejected them from the village. The New Zealand division commander, Bernard Freyberg, sent the Maoris to take it back.

The New Zealanders at first could make little progress, even with the aid of a small group of Maoris, until they brought up a battery of 17-pounders and started engaging the Italian strongpoints with direct fire. That distracted the defenders long enough to allow the New Zealanders to outflank them and take the village.