Battle of Shaggy Ridge

Battle of Shaggy Ridge
Part of World War II, Pacific War

Members of the 2/9th Infantry Battalion digging in on "Green Sniper's Pimple"
Date19–31 January 1944
Location
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
 Australia  Japan
Commanders and leaders
Australia Alan Vasey Empire of Japan Masutaro Nakai
Units involved

7th Division

Nakai Detachment

Casualties and losses
46 killed
147 wounded[1]
~ 500 killed [1]

The Battle of the Shaggy Ridge was part of the Finisterre Range campaign, consisting of a number of actions fought by Australian and Japanese troops in Papua New Guinea in World War II. Following the Allied capture of Lae and Nadzab, the Australian 9th Division had been committed to a quick follow up action on the Huon Peninsula in an effort to cut off the withdrawing Japanese. Once the situation on the Huon Peninsula stabilised in late 1943, the 7th Division had pushed into the Markham and Ramu Valleys towards the Finisterre Range with a view to pushing north towards the coast around Bogadjim, where they would meet up with Allied forces advancing around the coast from the Huon Peninsula, before advancing towards Madang.

A series of minor engagements followed in the foothills of the Finisterre Range before the Australians came up against strong resistance centred around the Kankiryo Saddle and Shaggy Ridge, which consisted of several steep features, dotted with heavily defended rocky outcrops. After a preliminary assault on a forward position dubbed The Pimple in late December 1943, the Australians renewed their assault in mid-January 1944 and over the course of a fortnight eventually captured the Japanese positions on Shaggy Ridge and the Kankiryo Saddle, after launching a brigade-sized attack up three avenues of advance. In the aftermath, the Australians pursued the Japanese to the coast and subsequently took Madang, linking up with US and Australian forces.

  1. ^ a b Coulthard-Clark 1998, p. 246.