Beatty's signals turn pursuit into a Blücher-only victory

When Lion fell out of the chase, Beatty displayed course and target signals together rather than clearly handing control to the next senior commander. Subordinates read the combined flags as an order to turn toward and attack the obvious crippled ship, Blücher. Hipper's remaining battlecruisers were therefore allowed to escape while the British force crowded around one doomed target. A clear succession signal to New Zealand, or even temporary control by a forward light-force commander, could have preserved the pursuit. Destroyers and cruisers might then have attacked while the battlecruisers held German attention. The episode turns overwhelming British strength into a narrow victory and demonstrates why commanders must check how their signals are executed.