 The Japanese had successfully evacuated a total of 10 @,@ 652 men from Guadalcanal , about all that remained of the 36 @,@ 000 total troops sent to the island during the campaign . Six hundred of the evacuees succumbed to their injuries or illnesses before they could receive sufficient medical care . Three thousand more required lengthy hospitalization or recuperation . After receiving word of the completion of the operation , Yamamoto commended all the units involved and ordered Kondo to return to Truk with his warships . The 2nd and 38th Divisions were shipped to Rabaul and partially reconstituted with replacements . The 2nd Division was relocated to the Philippines in March 1943 while the 38th was assigned to defend Rabaul and New Ireland . The 8th Area Army and Southeast Area Fleet reoriented their forces to defend the central Solomons at Kolombangara and New Georgia and prepared to send the reinforcements , mainly consisting of the 51st Infantry Division , originally detailed for Guadalcanal to New Guinea . The 17th Army was rebuilt around the 6th Infantry Division and headquartered on Bougainville . A few Japanese stragglers remained on Guadalcanal , many of whom were subsequently killed or captured by Allied patrols . The last known Japanese holdout surrendered in October 1947 . 
