Did Royal Navy warships lack enough fuel range for long-distance Pacific operations?
Short answerNo; their range matched British routes and tanker doctrine, though wartime conversions temporarily weakened the fast support fleet.
NotesRoyal Navy endurance requirements followed routes such as Suez to Singapore rather than a direct trans-Pacific crossing. The service possessed tankers and supply ships, so shorter individual range did not mean an inability to operate at distance. Early in the war, however, fast tankers were converted to carry landing craft for amphibious operations such as Madagascar. Rebuilding that fleet train later took time and shaped the British Pacific Fleet's logistical challenge.