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"
Date 19–31 January 1944 Location Finisterre Range, Territory of New Guinea Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Australia	Japan
Commanders and leaders
Alan Vasey	Masutaro Nakai
Units involved
7th Division 15th Brigade 18th Brigade 21st Brigade	Nakai Detachment 78th Infantry Regiment
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.