Tuhia he tomokanga mō tēnei wāhanga - I te pakanga o Guadalcanal, i ārahi a Kurita i ana kaipuke whawhai ki te whakaeke kaha ki Henderson Field i te pō o te 13 o Oketopa, e pupuhi ana i te 918 o ngā pōro kaha ki te papa rererangi o Amerika. Koinei te whakamatau angitu a te Hapanihi ki te whakakore i a Henderson Field ma te pupuhi moana. I muri mai ka whakahau a Kurita i nga ope moana nui i te pakanga o Central Solomon Islands
i te Pakanga o te Moana o Piripi. I te 1943, i whakakapihia e Kurita a Admiral Kondō hei rangatira mo te IJN 2nd Fleet.