General Okabe's force was already committed to a holding action at Wau, and he now looked to pull back on Mubo before his men died of starvation. On the Australian side, Brigadier Moten had known for some time that his force had won the key defensive battle, but he could see that his men were getting caught up in the difficult fight to finish off the enemy force. That surely was his first priority, to wipe out or force the withdrawal of any Japanese forces in the Wau area. At the same time he would continue to try to cut the Japanese escape route back through Wandumi and along the Jap Track.

The 2/5th Battalion again tried, on 7 February, to force the enemy from strong positions on the Wau side of the Bulolo River, between Crystal Creek and the swing bridge. A Company relieved B Company, allowing Bennett to take his men out to the right, or western, side of the enemy position. Some tough bush bashing got them on top of a ridge, slightly above the enemy. From there they were able to call down artillery fire. The artillery pounded the Japanese positions on a nearby ridge, before Lieutenant Eddie Reeve's 11 Platoon rushed the enemy machine-gun post and captured it. Lieutenant Danny Toland then moved his platoon through and took the rest of the ridge, except for a position at the far end.