Believing that the Japanese might be retreating to the south coast of Guadalcanal, on the morning of 1 February Patch landed a reinforced battalion of army and Marine troops, about 1,500 men under the command of Colonel Alexander George, at Verahue on Guadalcanal's south coast.
Da han troede, at japanerne måske trak sig tilbage mod sydkysten af Gudalcanal, landsatte Patch om morgenen den 1. februar en forstærket bataljon fra hær og marinekorps, omkring 1.500 mand under oberst Alexander George ved Verahue på Guadalcanals sydkyst.