The appearance of a Japanese "Betty" bomber which circled the landing zone but did not attack also slowed progress. The Japanese defenders reported back to their commanders that "due to the tenacious interference by enemy fighter planes, a decisive blow could not be stuck against the enemy landing convoy" and that the landings were an "absolutely miraculous" and "speedy disembarkation of the enemy." Following the first echelon, the 43rd Division's assistant commander, Brigadier General Leonard Wing, and Vice Admiral William F. Halsey, in command of the operation to secure New Georgia, waded ashore under sniper fire after their boat became grounded about from the beach. The 2nd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment established a defensive perimeter around the beachhead, but experienced trouble digging-in due to the heavily waterlogged ground. Eventually, they were forced to move their defensive lines to higher ground. As the invasion progressed American supplies crowded the beaches as infantry pushed the Japanese defenders inland. The 9th Marine Defense Battalion, in addition to skirmishing with Japanese forces, began securing and clearing their predefined artillery position objectives and the Seabees from the 24th Naval Construction Battalion began clearing an encampment for a medical aid station. The Seabees' work was hampered by sniper fire, while the heavy rain quickly turned the ground to mud which disrupted the movement of vehicles and heavy tractors that were tasked with dragging the heavy artillery pieces into position. In response to the landing, Japanese artillery batteries based on Bangaa Island and around Munda then began shelling four US destroyers that were sailing through the Blanche Channel offshore from the landing beach. This shelling damaged the destroyer "Gwin", killing three and wounding seven, before two other ships from the screen—"Farenholt" and "Buchanan"—began engaging the shore batteries, while the damaged "Gwin" obscured the transports with smoke to prevent them from being engaged. A force of 27 Zeros from the 11th Air Fleet, undertook a fighter sweep over the beachhead just before noon, delaying the unloading of the US transports while Allied fighters engaged them, shooting down four. The assault, although initially chaotic, successfully landed six thousand American troops on Rendova. These forces came ashore largely unopposed as the island's small garrison was taken by surprise and were unable to man their defenses in time before the US troops arrived. The Japanese initially assembled in a coconut plantation behind the landing beach and sought to establish radio contact with Munda, while undertaking minor skirmishing and laying down harassing fire from machine guns in the nearby plantation.