Later in 1942, during the Guadalcanal campaign, he was sent to the battlefield by Imperial General Headquarters, (IGH) assisting the efforts of the 2nd Division. With the formation of the Eighth Area Army, he was transferred to Rabaul. He filed a report with IGH that the Japanese position in Guadalcanal was untenable. Although he was regarded as a “negative staff officer,” IGH decided to withdraw forces from the island. Sugita prepared a withdrawal plan on behalf of Kumao Imoto, who was fighting a case of dengue fever, but as the superior officer is generally credited with the successful evacuation of Japanese troops carried out between 14 January and 7 February 1943(Operation Ke).