Small-craft supply around Guadalcanal

Did Japan use small vessels to supply Guadalcanal because they were difficult for American aircraft to attack?

Japan used many small craft, but American pilots still attacked them, and aircrew claims often exaggerated the size and destruction of their targets.

The answer combines logistics with source criticism. Small vessels could move men and supplies where larger transports were vulnerable, yet they remained valid air targets. Claims from attacking pilots need to be checked against shipping records because target size and damage were often overstated in combat reports.