Nimitz used creativity to get Enterprise and Hornet in the fight. When his code breakers began to suspect an attack on Midway, the code breakers in Washington believed the next IJN move would be in the South Pacific. Fleet Admiral King took their side and ordered Nimitz to send Halsey’s 2 carriers on a raid south, thousands of miles from Midway. Nimitz couldn’t convince his boss that they were needed near Hawaii, so south they went.
Nimitz then sent a “For your eyes only” message to Halsey, directing Halsey to let his fleet be spotted by IJN search planes ASAP. They were spotted, which caused the whole raid to be scuttled, as Nimitz intended. The carriers returned to Pearl to refuel, then sailed to Midway, where Hornet didn’t accomplish much but Enterprise planes sank 2 1/2 of the 4 IJN carriers.