Editing Guadalcanal campaign (section)

===Battle of Cape Esperance===
{{Main|Battle of Cape Esperance}}

Throughout the last week of September and the first week of October, Tokyo Express runs continually delivered troops from the Japanese 2nd Infantry Division to Guadalcanal. The Japanese Navy promised to support the IJA's planned offensive by delivering the necessary troops, equipment, and supplies to the island, and also by stepping up air attacks on Henderson Field and sending warships to bombard the airfield.<ref>Rottman, p. 61; Griffith, p. 152; Frank, pp. 224, 251–254, 266–268, 289–290; Dull, pp. 225–226; and Smith, pp. 132, 158.</ref>

[[File:USS Helena CL-50-700px.jpg|thumb|left|U.S. cruiser {{USS|Helena|CL-50|2}}, part of Task Force 64 under Norman Scott]]

In the meantime, [[Millard Harmon|Millard F. Harmon]], commander of U.S. Army forces in the South Pacific, convinced Ghormley that U.S. Marine forces on Guadalcanal needed to be reinforced immediately if the Allies were to successfully defend the island from the next expected Japanese offensive. Thus, on 8 October, the 2,837 men of the [[164th Regiment (United States)|164th Infantry Regiment]] from the [[Americal Division]] boarded ships at [[New Caledonia]] for the trip to Guadalcanal with a projected arrival date of 13 October. To protect the transports carrying the 164th to Guadalcanal, Ghormley ordered Task Force 64, consisting of four cruisers and five destroyers under U.S. Rear Admiral [[Norman Scott (admiral)|Norman Scott]], to intercept and combat any Japanese ships that approached Guadalcanal and threatened the arrival of the transport convoy.<ref>Frank, pp. 293–297; Morison, ''The Struggle for Guadalcanal'' pp. 147–149; and Dull, p. 225. Since not all of the Task Force 64 warships were available, Scott's force was designated as Task Group 64.2. The U.S. destroyers were from Squadron 12, commanded by Captain Robert G. Tobin in ''Farenholt''.</ref>

Mikawa's 8th Fleet staff scheduled a substantial Express run for the night of 11 October. Two [[seaplane tender]]s and six destroyers were ordered to put 728 soldiers, along with artillery and ammunition, ashore on Guadalcanal. At the same time, in a separate operation, three heavy cruisers and two destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral [[Aritomo Gotō]] were to bombard Henderson Field with special explosive shells with the objective of destroying the Cactus Air Force and the airfield's facilities. Because U.S. Navy warships had not yet attempted to interdict any Tokyo Express missions to Guadalcanal, the Japanese were not expecting any opposition from Allied naval surface forces that night.<ref>Frank, pp. 295–296; Hackett, ''IJN Aoba: Tabular Record of Movement''; Morison, ''The Struggle for Guadalcanal'' pp. 149–151; D'Albas, p. 183; and Dull, p. 226.</ref>

Just before midnight, Scott's warships detected Gotō's force on radar near the entrance to the strait between Savo Island and Guadalcanal. Scott's force was in a position to [[Crossing the T|cross the T]] on Gotō's unsuspecting formation. Opening fire, Scott's warships sank a cruiser and a destroyer, heavily damaged another cruiser, mortally wounded Gotō, and forced the rest of Gotō's warships to abandon their bombardment mission and retreat. During the exchange of gunfire, one of Scott's destroyers was sunk, and one cruiser and another destroyer were heavily damaged. In the meantime, the Japanese supply convoy successfully completed unloading at Guadalcanal and began its return journey without being discovered by Scott's force.<ref>Hornfischer, p.&nbsp;157–188</ref>

Later on the morning of 12 October, four Japanese destroyers from the supply convoy turned back to assist Gotō's retreating, damaged warships. Air attacks by CAF aircraft from Henderson Field sank two of these destroyers later that day. Meanwhile, the convoy of U.S. Army troops reached Guadalcanal as scheduled on 13 October, successfully delivering its cargo and passengers to the island.<ref>Frank, pp. 299–324; Morison, ''The Struggle for Guadalcanal'' pp. 154–171; and Dull, pp. 226–230.</ref>