02/11/2026
🇦🇺 THE BATTLE OF BRIGADE HILL – KOKODA, SEPTEMBER 1942
A battle of encirclement, desperate counterattacks and extraordinary Australian courage.
Between 7 and 9 September 1942, one of the bloodiest and most tactically significant engagements of the Kokoda Campaign unfolded on the steep jungle ridges overlooking Efogi.
After nearly two weeks of continuous fighting and withdrawal from Isurava, Brigadier Arnold Potts and his exhausted 21st Brigade were ordered to make a stand against the advancing Japanese.
The recently arrived 2/27th Battalion occupied the forward defensive positions along Mission Ridge, while the battle-weary 2/14th and 2/16th Battalions were positioned further south around Brigade Hill.
The Japanese had other plans.
Colonel Masao Kusunose's Japanese force employed a coordinated attack using infantry, artillery and a deliberate flanking manoeuvre.
While one Japanese battalion attacked the Australians frontally along Mission Ridge, another moved through the dense jungle to the west, bypassing the forward Australian positions.
By the morning of 8 September, the Japanese had successfully cut the Kokoda Track between the forward battalions and Potts's brigade headquarters.
The Australians were now fighting on two fronts, with their line of withdrawal severed.
Japanese mountain artillery shifted its fire onto Brigade Hill, while infantry established blocking positions across the track.
The Australians launched determined counterattacks to reopen their line of communication and withdrawal.
Men of the 2/14th and 2/16th Battalions charged Japanese positions, encountering devastating machine-gun and r***e fire.
Among those killed was Captain Claude Nye of the 2/14th Battalion, who led his men in a desperate attempt to break through the Japanese encirclement.
Despite extraordinary bravery, the Japanese blocking force could not be dislodged.
A Desperate Withdrawal
With their withdrawal route cut and the brigade effectively divided, the Australian battalions were forced to abandon the main track and fight their way through the surrounding jungle.
The 2/14th and 2/16th eventually reached Australian positions around Menari.
The 2/27th Battalion, however, became separated and endured an extraordinary struggle for survival through the mountains. Starving, exhausted and carrying wounded men, much of the battalion would not regain Australian lines until 25 September.
Why Brigade Hill Matters
Brigade Hill demonstrates the tactical importance of ground, mutually supporting defensive positions and protecting lines of communication.
The Japanese successfully combined frontal pressure with a wide flanking movement, exploiting gaps between Australian positions and cutting their withdrawal route.
Yet the Australians fought with remarkable determination, inflicting casualties and further delaying the Japanese advance towards Port Moresby.
Today, Brigade Hill is one of the most moving locations along the Kokoda Track.
Standing on the ridge, surrounded by the same steep jungle-covered mountains, it is difficult not to reflect on the courage and sacrifice of the men who fought and died here.
At Escape Trekking Adventures, we believe understanding the tactical decisions, terrain and human stories behind these battles is an essential part of walking Kokoda.
🇦🇺 We walk in their footsteps, not simply to remember where they fought, but to understand what they endured.
Lest We Forget.
🥾 Escape Trekking Adventures – History at the Heart of the Journey.
16 to 26 July 2027
[email protected]
