On 11 October 1942 "Myōkō" sailed from Truk as part of the IJN 2nd Fleet. This force also included the battleships "Kongō" and , the heavy cruisers "Atago", "Chōkai" and "Nachi", the light cruiser and twelve destroyers. They were followed by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo's Carrier Striking Force. The mission was the reinforcement and resupply of Japanese troops on the island of Guadalcanal, which had been invaded by American troops in August. "Myōkō" was attacked on 14 September by a flight of ten USAAF B-17 bombers, suffering light damage. On 15 October, she participated in a shore bombardment operation against the American-held Henderson Field together with "Maya".