Question for you Midway and Nav Air experts: How many Japanese pilots were stranded in the air when all four Japanese carriers sank? Did they all ditch and drown or did some get picked up by the Americans?
No Japanese air crews were stranded in the air. They all came to earth, sooner or later. :) Sorry, I couldn't resist that.
Interesting question and I don't have a definitive answer but I would surmise that most tried to ditch near other Japanese ships and were picked up. I doubt that any intentionally ditched near US vessels, the Japanese were not very keen on surrendering, they had been fully indoctrinated in what mistreatment to expect from the US. That the indoctrination was wholly inaccurate didn't change anything.
I believe some may have set a course for home or got lost and met lonely deaths. Many Naval aviators on both sides did that. It's gotta be tough to keep track of where you are when someone is trying really hard to kill you.