Why was HMS Glowworm out of formation when she encountered Admiral Hipper?
Short answerShe had detached to recover a sailor overboard and met the German ships while returning to Renown, with compass and radio trouble complicating her separation.
NotesGlowworm had detached to search for a sailor who had fallen overboard. On her return toward Renown, she encountered two German destroyers and then Admiral Hipper in poor visibility. Compass trouble and an unreliable radio compounded the separation. The decision to fight and ram Hipper is explained as an attempt to do what damage she could when escape appeared unrealistic. Once Glowworm ceased resisting, Hipper stopped to rescue survivors. The rescued sailor's subsequent survival is unknown to the participants. The comparison with Lütjens, who is said to have refused to stop for men swept overboard from his force, illustrates a different priority between rescue and keeping the force moving. With two other destroyers away refueling, Renown was left with Greyhound as her sole escort, prompting alarm over the protection of a recently modernized capital ship.