Were carriers still supporting the battle fleet in 1941 doctrine?

Are the carriers escorting the battle fleet rather than battleships escorting the carriers?

Yes. That arrangement reflects contemporary American doctrine, with carriers supporting and scouting for the battle line.

The arrangement reverses the later fast-carrier model in which battleships screen carrier task forces. In the 1941 formation described here, aviation supplies reconnaissance and support for the gun battle fleet. Lexington and Enterprise would operate ahead of the battle line because their aircraft had assumed much of the scouting role that the fleet's scarce cruisers could not fill. Their forward position also helps explain why a Japanese attack approaching from the rear might find the battleships before locating the carriers.