Destroyer range and preparation for future conflicts

Destroyer requirements increasingly included operations on the far side of the North Sea and possible employment in the Mediterranean. Preparation also extended to future conflicts that the Royal Navy hoped would not occur. Greater range supported that wider operational outlook. The proposed fuel budget allocates roughly a third to reaching the operating area, a third to operations and a third to returning home. This is a recurring design assumption in the explanation, rather than a precise fuel schedule for every voyage.