Pinwheel
Jet powered aircraft were no use, but propeller powered aircraft were considered a valuable resource by the fisheads driving the aircraft platform.
Operation Pinwheel used propeller powered aircraft strategically placed on the flightdeck and suitably tied, lashed and chained down, to aid the ship in close quarters manoeuvering. They replaced tugs which probably were on strike, or not big enough to provide motive thrust.
I last saw this in Melbourne in the early '70s when the tug company went on strike. The AEOs hated it as they saw it as an abuse of airframes/engines.
So, no they couldn't aid the ship in going faster, but could help you get alongside. Oh, and the stokers were known to burn a bit of jet fuel in the ship's boilers as well!