Could Ark Royal and Warspite have formed a British group at Midway?

What if Ark Royal and Warspite had been refitting on the west coast of North America before Midway?

They might have formed a British-led task group at Midway, probably screened largely by American cruisers and destroyers.

The counterfactual depends on timing and availability. By 1942 the Royal Navy was too short of fast capital ships to escort Victorious, which joined an American group alone. If Ark Royal and Warspite had instead become available after the Battle of the Coral Sea but before Midway, they could have formed the core of a British-led task group. American cruisers and destroyers would probably still have supplied much of the screen, although Britain might have rushed a cruiser through. Refit location and a few weeks of timing can reshape coalition order of battle.