Wouldn’t you have loved to have watched Yamamoto’s response when he was told that four main carriers (comprising the core of the Kido Butai) had been ambushed by American carriers and destroyed? More than anyone else in the world, Yamamoto would have realized that in those minutes when the planes from the American carriers got through the defenses of the Japanese carriers to deliver lethal blows that the Japanese war efforts were ultimately doomed.
He probably expected it. After all, his “six months of running wild” by that time were up.
Of all the significant people in Japan at that time Yamamoto was probably the only one who knew that a protracted war with the USA would not end well for Japan. He lived in the USA for a while taking some of his advanced education. He recognized the economic and manufacturing potential that could be brought to bear in a crisis.
Yamamoto, who was sailing on a battleship that was in a force detached from the carriers would have gotten word after the first three flattops were struck within minutes of each other.
The fourth carrier was pursued and sunk much later than the first three.