The loss of HMS Rawalpindi prompted Devonshire to leave the Clyde with the battleships Nelson and Rodney in search of the German ships responsible. The fast cruiser may have been expected to run the raiders down, maintain contact, or slow them until the battleships arrived. That probable division of labour paired cruiser speed and scouting with the battleships' decisive gun power. The force found no opportunity to repeat the later pursuit of Bismarck, so Rawalpindi was not avenged on this sortie. The plan depended on a heavy cruiser connecting distant detection with a slower capital-ship response.
Notable Point · 24:48-25:37
Devonshire joined the response to Rawalpindi's loss
After the armed merchant cruiser Rawalpindi was sunk, Devonshire sailed with Nelson and Rodney in an unsuccessful attempt to catch the German raiders.