Shaggy Ridge is a long razorback (stratigraphic)

ridge A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...

in the

Finisterre Range The Finisterre Range is a mountain range in north-eastern Papua New Guinea. The highest point is ranked 41st in the world by prominence with an elevation of 4,150 m. Although the range's high point is not named on official maps, the name "Mount ...

, in north eastern

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

. Its highest point is above sea level. The ridge is located between the valleys of the

Mene The moonfish of the genus ''Mene'', the sole extant genus of the family Menidae, are disk-shaped fish which bear a vague resemblance to gourami, thanks to their thread-like pelvic fins. Today, the genus is represented only by '' Mene maculata'' ...

and Faria Rivers and culminates at one end in Kankiryo Saddle, which links it to Faria Ridge and divides Faria Valley and

Mindjim River The Mindjim River is a river in northern Papua New Guinea. Mindjim Riverin Geonames.org (cc-by) post updated 2012-01-17; database downloaded 2015-06-22 See also *List of rivers of Papua New Guinea This is a list of rivers of Papua New Guinea. In ...

Valley. From the Ramu Valley, the ridge runs NNW, and the highest point is located at 145°44.23'E:5°46.36'S.

History

The ridge was named after an Australian soldier, Captain Robert "Shaggy Bob" Clampett, commander of "A" Company, 2/27th Infantry Battalion, the first

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called a ...

ground unit to reconnoitre the area during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Shaggy Ridge was the site of several battles during the

Finisterre Range campaign The Markham Valley, Ramu Valley and Finisterre Range campaigns were a series of battles within the broader New Guinea campaign of World War II. The campaigns began with an Allied offensive in the Ramu Valley, from 19 September 1943, and conc ...

of 1943–1944. The ridge was the site of major

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

defensive positions, blocking access from the

Ramu Valley The Ramu River is a major river in northern Papua New Guinea. The headwaters of the river are formed in the Kratke Range from where it then travels about northwest to the Bismarck Sea. Along the Ramu's course, it receives numerous tributaries ...

to the north coast of New Guinea. In December 1943, the

Australian 7th Division The 7th Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army. It was formed in February 1940 to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF). The division was raised on the British establishment of ni ...

attacked; the difficult terrain made this a famous campaign which did not end until the last Japanese positions were captured in January. The battles on Shaggy Ridge itself were: *

Battle of The Pimple The Battle of the Pimple was part of the Markham and Ramu Valley – Finisterre Range campaign, which consisted of a number of battles fought by Australian and Japanese troops in Papua New Guinea in World War II. Fought on 27 and 28 Decem ...

* Battle of Cam's Saddle * Battle of Faria Ridge * Battle of Prothero I and II * Battle of McCaughey's Knoll *

Battle of Kankiryo Saddle 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 Austr ...

* Battle of Crater Hill

In popular culture

Fighting at Shaggy Ridge was featured in the Australian documentary '' Jungle Patrol'' (1944).

Notes

Landforms of Papua New Guinea Ridges Landforms of Oceania {{PapuaNewGuinea-geo-stub