Survivors described the Romanians as "very wild and dangerous opponents". Rommel and his troops faced rain and freezing weather during their first night in the mountains, but were forbidden to fall back to a sheltered position. The second night in the mountains had drained Rommel's men of their last strength, but despite numerous cases of fever, the sector commander continued to refuse a withdrawal. At daybreak, the doctor had to send 40 men to the field hospital. After Rommel himself visited the sector commander and personally described the situation, he was finally allowed to withdraw. By then, 90% of his men were under medical care due to cold and illness. On 27 October (Old style: 14 October), German units reached the outskirts of Târgu Jiu and attempted to cross the bridge into the town. They were repulsed by troops aided by the local population, and during this engagement the would-be Second Lieutenant Ecaterina Teodoroiu would make her first contribution to the Romanian Campaign. On 27 October, a German unit had succeeded in breaking through the center of the Romanian lines and reached the bridge which approached Târgu Jiu from the west. A battalion of militia from Gorj was taken by surprise, but - supported by a scratch force from Târgu Jiu itself - managed to hold out until 4:30 pm, when Romanian reinforcements enabled the defenders to prevail. The Germans had to retire, leaving prisoners in the hands of the Romanians. The Germans had been ordered to take Târgu Jiu at 2 pm on the 27th. During the initial stages of the German advance (23-26 October), the Central Powers occupied a front along the Northern outskirts of Frâncești, Turcinești, Sâmbotin and Bumbești. In the aftermath of the Romanian counterattack (27-28 October), the Romanians re-occupied the villages of Stănești, Rugi, Vălari, Schela and Birnici and retook the hills of Leșului and Seniuleului as well as the Gruba Mare massif. Almost the entire Western half of the salient created by the offensive of the Central Powers was pushed back towards the Romanian border, save for Arcanului Hill. On the Eastern half of the salient, the Central Powers managed to hold on to the mountain passes (Surduc and Vulcan), Mare Hill and the settlements of Lainici and Buliga, this sector of the front running just North of Muncelu and Moldavisu.