Lutzow contributed little before meeting Sheffield and Jamaica near the end of the action and withdrawing with the rest of the German force. The situation recalled Admiral Graf Spee's earlier fight against Ajax and Achilles, except Burnett's cruisers were larger and had many destroyers nearby. Burnett wanted to shadow and continue engaging the German heavy ships, but he also had to respect the reach of land-based aircraft. Without an escort carrier, his cruisers lacked enough air protection for a reckless pursuit. Surface success did not remove the other operational dangers of Arctic waters. German heavy units did not sortie again until the Scharnhorst operation the following December.
Notable Point · 28:08-29:30
Why Burnett could not press the German withdrawal
Burnett wanted to shadow the retreating German ships but stayed clear of enemy air range without carrier cover, while the failed raid kept German heavy ships in port for nearly a year.