▁American ▁regiment al ▁combat ▁team ▁over ▁the ▁O wen ▁Stanley ▁Range . ▁Two ▁alternate ▁means ▁of ▁crossing ▁the ▁mountains ▁seemed ▁possible . ▁One , ▁the ▁Kap a ▁Kap a ▁Tra il ▁was ▁known ▁to ▁clim b ▁to ▁elev ations ▁above ▁ ▁and ▁present ▁form id able ▁obst acles . ▁Case y ▁and ▁Sver d rup ▁took ▁charge ▁of ▁investig ating ▁the ▁Ab au ▁Tra il . ▁They ▁reached ▁Ab au ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁September . ▁Case y ▁expl ored ▁the ▁har bor , ▁taking ▁depth ▁sound ings ▁from ▁a ▁native ▁can oe . ▁Sver d rup ▁set ▁out ▁for ▁Ja ure ▁with ▁a ▁party ▁of ▁one ▁American , ▁two ▁Austral ians ▁from ▁the ▁Australian ▁New ▁Guinea ▁Administr ative ▁Unit , ▁ten ▁native ▁police ▁from ▁the ▁Royal ▁Pap uan ▁Const ab ul ary ▁and ▁ 2 6 ▁native ▁carri ers . ▁After ▁eight ▁days ▁on ▁the ▁trail , ▁scaling ▁height s ▁of ▁, ▁Sver d rup ▁concluded ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁practical ▁for ▁troops ▁to ▁traverse ▁the ▁route ▁and ▁turned ▁back . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Case y ▁had ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁har bor ▁was ▁too ▁shall ow ▁even ▁for ▁l igh ters . ▁However , ▁the ▁trip ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁total ▁loss , ▁for ▁Sver d rup ▁had ▁sight ed ▁a ▁plate au ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁O wen ▁Stanley ▁Range ▁suitable ▁for ▁a irst ri ps , ▁allowing ▁troops ▁to ▁be ▁flow n ▁across ▁the ▁O wen ▁Stanley ▁Range . ▁Case y ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Silver ▁Star . ▁ ▁In ▁New ▁Guinea ,