Saving Port Moresby

Powerfully written by Australia's leading military historian, Saving Port Moresby commemorates the 80th Anniversary of the Battles in New Guinea.

Japanese Major General Horii Tomitarô, commanding the South Seas Force, was tasked, after taking Kokoda Plateau in late July, with entering the Owen Stanley Range to capture Port Morseby. After the battles for Deniki and Isurava, his troops were pushing south through the mountains. The Australians under Brigadier Arnold Potts, however, were not in route, but were involved in a determined fighting withdraw.

After fighting a delaying action at Templeton's Crossing, the Australians took up a position along Mission Ridge, just south of Efogi Village. Horii and his battalions attacked and after two days of bloody hand-to-hand fighting, the Australians were again forced to withdraw.

To the veterans who fought here the battle would become known as ‘Butcher's Corner'. After several further delaying actions, Potts and his men took up a position on Ioribaiwa Ridge, just 50-kilometres north of Port Moresby. His brigade by now numbered fewer than 300 men. Here they were reinforced with the men of the 25th Brigade. Horii established himself on Ioribaiwa Ridge and, after a week of fighting, the Japanese cut through the centre right flank of the Australian 25th Brigade, forcing the Australians to fall back to Imita Ridge. This was the last defensible ridge in the Owen Stanleys, immediately behind this lay Port Moresby.