Lacking anti-tank weapons, the Japanese, surprised by the Australian use of tanks, had to ...

Lacking anti-tank weapons, the Japanese, surprised by the Australian use of tanks, had to improvise anti-tank defences by cutting down a coconut tree in the path of one of the oncoming tanks. That action temporarily disabled this M3 stuart light tank by 'bellying' it. The tank was afterwards pulled free from the obstacle by another tank and returned to action. The Japanese had placed a land mine alongside the fallen coconut palm, but the tank's angle after it had 'bellied' on the obstruction was away from the land mine, which was removed by Australian engineers. Had the tank contacted the mine, the explosion would have damaged its tracks, thereby putting it out of action.