Controlled aggression as the British advantage

Royal Navy orders encouraged officers to trust their judgment, while German ship-preservation orders conveyed distrust and encouraged caution. British destroyer crews had been trained for aggressive action over the preceding decades, and the battle reinforced its value. That aggression required restraint: escorts advanced until the German ships were safely outside gun range of the convoy, then returned to the merchants. Continuing to chase a retreating enemy would have exposed the ships they were protecting. The German attempt to draw off the escort failed because successive attacks developed from much the same direction. A proposed alternative would have used German destroyers independently on other bearings, dividing the British screen while Hipper and Lützow attacked from opposite sides. Burnett's decision to steer toward the gunfire complemented the destroyers' ability to fight without waiting for detailed instructions.