By October 1942, the United States and Japan had been locked in a battle of attrition on and around the island of Guadalcanal for over two months. The 1st Marine Division, and now elements of the Army’s 164th Infantry Regiment, still retained full control of the priceless Henderson Field, as well as its surrounding area. The months of fighting had whittled Japan’s strength down after blistering defeats at Tenaru in August and Edson’s Ridge the following month. Yet, the enemy was still as determined as ever to eliminate the American presence ashore, and as such, was in full preparation for another massive assault on Henderson Field. This time, the assault would be coordinated alongside a strong naval offensive. The Imperial Navy was determined to defeat the American aircraft carriers around Guadalcanal once and for all.
American cryptanalysts were aware that the Japanese intended to make another assault on Guadalcanal toward the end of October. Intelligence assumed the date would be October 23, and as a result, Admiral William Halsey began to prepare by sending whatever forces he could muster to defend the area. Assembled American forces were meager at best. The battered carrier Enterprise (CV-6), barely recovered from the wounds she suffered at Eastern Solomons and deploying a brand-new air group, was rapidly making her way back to the area following repairs at Pearl Harbor. A Midway veteran but still relatively untested, the carrier Hornet (CV-8) was the only American carrier on station until she was joined by the “Big E” on October 24. Together the two carriers and their 21 escorts would attempt to stop the massive threat headed their way.
