German intelligence assumed Revenge-class battleships could escort convoys only about a thousand miles from Halifax, underestimating their practical reach. Lütjens tried to approach HX 106 from two directions and found HMS Ramillies embedded in the formation. The old battleship probably could not win a two-against-one action, but her guns could reduce the speed of one or both German ships while radio reports summoned stronger forces. Captain Kurt-Caesar Hoffmann attempted to draw Ramillies away with Scharnhorst, but an escort commander had no reason to chase a much faster opponent. Ramillies could remain with the merchants and make the raiders come within gun range. Hoffmann had trained under Lütjens, and their disagreement over the maneuver led to an argument by radio. They resolved it and kept a good working relationship, showing that Lütjens's reserve did not prevent productive dealings with subordinate captains.
Notable Point · 2:38:04-2:45:15
Old convoy battleships deterred faster German raiders
Ramillies did not need to defeat Scharnhorst and Gneisenau outright; she only needed to protect HX 106 and damage a raider badly enough for the Home Fleet to finish the pursuit.