Battle of Cape Esperance
At the Battle of Cape Esperance on 11 October 1942, CruDiv 6's ("Aoba", "Furutaka" and "Kinugasa"), and destroyers and departed Shortland to provide cover for a troop reinforcement convoy by shelling Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. The fleet was spotted, coming down "the Slot" at , by two Vought OS2U Kingfisher reconnaissance floatplanes.