The two battleships , and , equipped with special fragmentation shells , were to bombard Henderson Field on the night of 12 -- 13 November and destroy it and the aircraft stationed there in order to allow the slow , heavy transports to reach Guadalcanal and unload safely the next day .
The two battleships , `` Hiei '' and `` Kirishima '' , with special fragmentation shells , were to bomb Henderson Field on the night of 12 -- 13 November and destroy it and the aircraft stationed there . This would allow the slow , heavy transports to reach Guadalcanal and unload safely the next day .