” Had the Japanese kept only enough fighters to protect their carriers and sent all other planes off as dedicated manned kamikaze cruise missiles, who would have won the Battle of Midway”?
The Japanese were not using Kamikaze’s that early in the war and were not even considered at Midway.
I know that, of course. What I’m saying is HAD they used their resources in that manner, they would have won the battle with many fewer casualties. In your opinion, HAD they used their assets in that manner, what do you think would have happened? The kamikaze manned cruise missile revealed the vulnerability of aircraft carriers during WWII. An equal, non depleted enemy (as Japan was in 1942) using kamikaze tactics, would have prevailed over the U.S. carriers.
Plus the fact that the Kimakazi air craft would have been loaded with explosives and not carry the muniuion or fuel required for air-to-air combat. This is the scenario that resulted in the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot.
Wanna buy some cheap hydrogen peroxide fueled torpedoes? You have to wonder about military logic sometimes.