As Carl points out, logistics are the big problem for the USN in trying to send an intact fleet across the Pacific in early 1942. Many people don't know that in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack the USN scrambled to rebuild its battle line in the Pacific and very quickly succeeded. By transferring battleships from the Atlantic and repairing the BBs with light damage from Pearl Harbor they had a force of eight fully operational battleships on the west coast by February 1942. Dubbed "Task Force One", it pretty much just sat there. By the time of the Midway battle, several of the BBs had been sent for refits, but the rest were still there and yet there was no attempt to use them at Midway. They were too slow and burned too much fuel.