 The plan called for a battalion of army infantry to land by destroyer on Guadalcanal around 14 January to act as a rear guard during the evacuation . The 17th Army was to begin withdrawing to the western end of the island about 25 or 26 January . An air superiority campaign around the southern Solomons would begin on 28 January . The 17th Army would be picked up in three lifts by destroyers the first week of February with a target completion date of 10 February . At the same time , Japanese air and naval assets would conduct conspicuous maneuvers and minor attacks around New Guinea and the Marshall Islands along with deceptive radio traffic to try to confuse the Allies as to their intentions . 
