Tanaka 's convoy , after suffering heavy damage during the battle from an air attack by CAF aircraft from Henderson Field , including the sinking of one of the transports , was forced to divert to the Shortland Islands in the northern Solomons in order to transfer the surviving troops to destroyers for later delivery to Guadalcanal .
Tanaka 's convoy , after getting heavy damage during the battle from an air attack by aircraft from Henderson Field , including the sinking of one of the transports , changed direction to the Shortland Islands in the northern Solomons . This was done to transfer the troops to destroyers for delivery to Guadalcanal .