▁U . S . ▁Army ' s ▁Amer ical ▁Division , ▁commanded ▁by ▁Colonel ▁Robert ▁Hall , ▁to ▁Gu adal can al . ▁ ▁Mik awa ' s ▁ships ▁continued ▁no ct urn al ▁deliver ies ▁of ▁men ▁and ▁mater iel ▁to ▁Gu adal can al . ▁Between ▁ 1 ▁and ▁ 1 7 ▁October , ▁Japanese ▁con vo ys ▁delivered ▁ 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁Japanese ▁troops , ▁compr ising ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁Infantry ▁Division ▁and ▁one ▁regiment ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 8 th ▁Infantry ▁Division , ▁plus ▁art illery , ▁t anks , ▁am mun ition , ▁and ▁prov isions , ▁to ▁Gu adal can al . ▁One ▁of ▁these — on ▁ 9 ▁October — land ed ▁General ▁Hy ak ut ake ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁to ▁personally ▁lead ▁the ▁Japanese ▁forces ▁in ▁the ▁planned ▁off ensive . ▁Mik awa ▁also ▁sent ▁heavy ▁cru is ers ▁on ▁several ▁occasions ▁to ▁bomb ard ▁Hend erson ▁Field . ▁On ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁ 1 1 ▁October , ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁bomb ard ment ▁miss ions ▁was ▁intercept ed ▁by ▁U . S . ▁naval ▁forces ▁and ▁defeated ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Cape ▁Es per ance . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 3 ▁October , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁help ▁protect ▁the ▁trans it ▁of ▁an ▁important ▁supply ▁con voy ▁to ▁Gu adal can al ▁that ▁consisted ▁of ▁six ▁slower ▁cargo ▁ships , ▁the ▁Japanese ▁Com b ined ▁Fle et ▁commander ▁Is or oku ▁Yam am oto ▁sent ▁a ▁naval