Kawaguchi set the date for his attack on the Lunga perimeter for 12 September and began marching his forces west from Taivu towards Lunga Point on 5 September . He radioed 17th Army and requested that it carry out air strikes on Henderson Field beginning on 9 September , and that naval warships be stationed off Lunga Point on September 12 to " destroy any Americans who attempted to flee from the island . " On 7 September , Kawaguchi issued his attack plan to " rout and annihilate the enemy in the vicinity of the Guadalcanal Island airfield . " Kawaguchi 's plan called for his forces to split into three , approach the Lunga perimeter inland , and launch a surprise night attack . Oka 's force would attack the perimeter from the west while Ichiki 's Second Echelon — renamed the Kuma Battalion — would attack from the east . The main attack would be by Kawaguchi 's " Center Body " , numbering 3 @,@ 000 men in three battalions , from the south of the Lunga perimeter . By 7 September , most of Kawaguchi 's troops had started marching from Taivu towards Lunga Point along the coastline . About 250 Japanese troops remained behind to guard the brigade 's supply base at Taivu .