The government trusted British oil companies to preserve access, while the Royal Navy wanted British-flagged tankers that it could requisition in a crisis. When that transport policy proved politically unattainable, naval planners sought greater storage as insurance against unreliable access to shipping. Winston Churchill also supported converting fast fleet oilers into amphibious-warfare ships fitted with landing-craft gantries. Later claims that the interwar Navy ignored refueling at sea can therefore mistake lost or repurposed capability for a lack of institutional thought.
Notable Point · 2:59-4:35
British tanker control shaped postwar fuel policy
The Navy wanted British-controlled tanker capacity after the First World War, but political choices pushed it toward larger reserves while fast fleet oilers were diverted to amphibious work.