The overlooked force balance at Denmark Strait

Was Denmark Strait an even two-against-two action, with the supporting British cruisers unable to affect the fight?

That description is rejected because the opposing pairs had unequal fighting power, while the British heavy cruisers are treated as support withheld by command orders.

The British force paired a battleship with a battlecruiser, while the German pair included a heavy cruiser. That gave Britain the stronger pair in this assessment. Two British heavy cruisers were also available nearby, and their exclusion is attributed to the admiral's orders. The disagreement turns on whether those cruisers could have joined the action, as well as the unequal fighting value of the four principal ships.