The night of 15 November saw 21 Brigade attempt to cross the Hube river as a shortcut to the Chambinga crossing point but the ground was too marshy so it would have to travel east and then round the source of the Hube and back westward to the crossing. Combat Team Charlie was sent to intercept 21 Brigade as it rounded the Hube on 16 November. Instead, Charlie met them head-on around 10h30, after failing to deploy properly. The battle lasted until 16h30 with Combat Team Bravo joining Charlie before withdrawing when they ran short of ammunition. Using SADF artillery to keep 21 Brigade in place, the brigade organised themselves and were able to round the Hube during the replenishment and hidden by a thunderstorm. FAPLA lost 131 soldiers, seven tanks and various vehicles while the SADF lost 6 soldiers with 19 wounded, and two Ratels and two other vehicles.  17 November saw the SADF again advance westwards to the Chambinga crossing point with Combat Group Alpha leading the attack, Combat Group Bravo south-east at the source of the Humbe River and Charlie replenishing and in reserve. Alpha stepped off at 08h30 but its progress was hindered by UNITA's faulty intelligence concerning a minefield and MiG patrols that allowed 21 Brigade to make it to the bridge and fords. Combat Group Alpha arrived at the bridge by 17h00 but 21 Brigade had escaped. 59 Brigade had succeeded in managing the passage of the remains of 21 Brigade across the Chambinga bridge and the three fords despite constant attacks from the G5 artillery as well retrieving damaged and stranded vehicles. At the end of the day, Task Force 10 was back resting to the east though their artillery continued to engage targets identified while UNITA forces patrolled the controlled areas. On 18 November in Pretoria, General Jannie Geldenhuys, General Koos Liebenberg and Admiral Dries Putter gathered to discuss the options for the next course of action. Liebenberg placed three options on the table. One, withdraw the SADF forces and end Operation Moduler or secondly attack and take the bridge over the Cuito or lastly attack Cuito Cuanavale from the west as opposed to operations taking place currently to the east of the town. The third option had been discussed by the generals on 2 November, but would require another brigade on the western side of the river that would have to be made up of Citizen Force units who could only be ready for operations by the earliest 20 December.