B 24 Guy, I am thinking the same thing.
The Attack: At 12:20 local time, 6 type 97 level bombers takeoff from the carrier followed by 6 escorting zeros and then 9 more zeros that will make low level runs out in front of the attacking bombers. By 12:48 all IJN Aircraft are heading south. At 14:15 as the enemy aircraft were going into there attack formation, with the 6 zero escort 500 meters off to the right and the 9 attacking zeros dropping down to make low level runs on Henderson Field, Capt. Carl leading the 4 plane F4F CAP protecting Henderson Field took his men and made a high side pass on what he thought were bombers but turned out to be the escort fighters getting one of them, it was a running battle from then on until they got close to Henderson Field he then broke off the fight and set up to attack the bombers again as they left the area. As the bombers let go of there bombs near a gun inplacement the attacking zeros made there runs from 3 different directions. The only damage during the attack was the loss of a small amo dump. This dump got its revenge because when it blew it damaged one of the ground attack zeros. Another zero was damaged by flak and had to crash land on the beach near Henderson Field, the pilot was picked up by IJN ground units and later returned to his unit. During this time the bombers had finished there attack and along with the 5 remaining escorts made a wide 180degree turn and headed back toward the carrier. As enemy neared Tulagi Capt. Carl and his CAP of F4Fs attacked for a second time. This time Capt. Carl blew one of the enemy bombers out of the sky for his second kill of the day. Just after this attacked on the enemy and while setting up for there next run the 10 F4F and 2 P-400 showed up and attacked knocking down another enemy bomber and damaging a third. At this point in time what remained of the ground attack zeros came on the scene and got 2 F4Fs. One U.S. pilot went down with his plane while the other bailed out but was never found. At 14:50 the two sides broke off there attacks and headed home. On the way back to the carrier the damaged bomber ditched the crew being picked up the next day.
Maj. Smith had landed with 19 F4Fs but by the end of the 24th of Aug he had lost 3 planes shot down 2 planes crashed and 3 in need of repair. Before Aug 30th things were going to get worse.