Does low fuel explain HMS Glorious sailing home?

Was HMS Glorious returning separately from the main force because she was short of fuel?

The explanation is doubtful. Her speed and range home, available refuelling possibilities, and escort below the normal doctrinal standard leave the decision unresolved.

It is difficult to reconcile a critically fuel-short carrier with the speed and distance required for the return passage. Fuel might also have been transferred from other large ships instead of sending the carrier away in an exposed condition. More importantly, Royal Navy doctrine called for a carrier escort closer to a cruiser and four destroyers, while the force available for Glorious fell short of that standard. Speculative alternative missions remain unsupported, but the evidence points to serious decision-making failures that the simple fuel explanation does not resolve.