On 30 March the battalion's 'A' Company was attacked six times by a Japanese force of about 300 men.. This attack was repulsed for the loss of two Australians killed and two wounded.. At dawn the following morning, 'A' Company attempted to clear the Japanese from the track that led back to Slater's Knoll, however, coming up against an entrenched force of about 70 Japanese, they were forced to abandon the attempt after exchanging fire for 45 minutes.. Over the course of the next week, the Japanese launched a number of attacks on the Australians around Slater's Knoll, during which time they suffered an estimated 620 men killed and over 1,000 wounded.. The main Japanese attacks, however, were concentrated on the 25th Battalion and for the majority of the battle the 61st took part in defensive operations on the periphery of the 25th's position to protect their rear and to provide close infantry support to the Matilda tanks of the 2/4th Armoured Regiment.. During this time, the 61st Battalion was involved in a number of "minor contacts"..
