▁force ▁from ▁Tru k — command ed ▁by ▁Vice - Ad mir al ▁Take o ▁Kur ita — to ▁bomb ard ▁Hend erson ▁Field . ▁Kur ita ' s ▁force — cons isting ▁of ▁the ▁batt les hips ▁ ▁and ▁, ▁esc orted ▁by ▁one ▁light ▁cru iser ▁and ▁nine ▁destroy ers — appro ached ▁Gu adal can al ▁uno pp osed ▁and ▁opened ▁fire ▁on ▁Hend erson ▁Field ▁at ▁ 0 1 : 3 3 ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁October . ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁ 8 3 ▁minutes , ▁they ▁fired ▁ 9 7 3 ▁ ▁shell s ▁into ▁the ▁L ung a ▁per imeter , ▁most ▁of ▁them ▁falling ▁in ▁and ▁around ▁the ▁ ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁air field . ▁The ▁bomb ard ment ▁heavily ▁dam aged ▁the ▁air field ' s ▁two ▁run ways , ▁burn ed ▁almost ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁available ▁av iation ▁fuel , ▁destroyed ▁ 4 8 ▁of ▁the ▁C AF ' s ▁ 9 0 ▁aircraft , ▁and ▁killed ▁ 4 1 ▁men , ▁including ▁six ▁C AF ▁air cre w . ▁ ▁Despite ▁the ▁heavy ▁damage , ▁Hend erson ▁personnel ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁restore ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁run ways ▁to ▁oper ational ▁condition ▁within ▁a ▁few ▁hours . ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁several ▁weeks , ▁the ▁C AF ▁gradually ▁recovered ▁as ▁Al lied ▁forces ▁delivered ▁more ▁aircraft , ▁fuel , ▁and ▁air cre w ▁personnel ▁to ▁Gu adal can al . ▁Ob ser ving ▁the ▁Japanese ▁deliver ies ▁of ▁troops ▁and ▁supplies ▁to ▁the ▁island ,