The tempting encounter is rejected outright because a battlecruiser has little reason to pick a fight with a battleship escorting a convoy. The convoy is valuable, but the escort changes the risk calculation because easier prey should exist elsewhere. Battlecruisers may engage capital ships, though their speed and reach should let them choose targets instead of accepting an unfavourable exchange. The decision is a concise example of mission selection in cruiser warfare.
Notable Point · 1:22:26-1:22:58
Why a battlecruiser should avoid a battleship escort
A battlecruiser declines a convoy engagement because a battleship escort makes it a poor risk compared with easier prey.