Ichiki had been ordered to wait on the beachhead for the remainder of his regiment, but finding the beach deserted and the island apparently lightly defended, Ichiki grossly underestimated the strength of the American forces, left a rear guard of 125 men, and advanced to make a nighttime frontal assault against the American positions.
Ichiki havde fået ordre til at vente i brohovedet på resten af hans regiment, men da han konstaterede at stranden var mennesketom og at øen tilsyneladende kun var let forsvaret, undervurderede Ichiki groft den amerikanske styrke, efterlod en bagtrop på 125 mand og tog af sted for at gennemføre et natligt frontalangreb mod de amerikanske stillinger.