In a private statement to Conrad Patzig, Lütjens said the unequal forces made eventual sacrifice likely and that he had settled his private affairs. The words illuminate the fatalism that later shaped his interpretation of intelligence, damage, and pursuit. He is also identified as one of the officers who deliberately used the traditional naval salute rather than the Nazi salute when Hitler visited Bismarck. Political distance did not become refusal of duty; instead, it coexisted with an honor-bound willingness to carry out a mission he expected might kill him.
Notable Point · 3:17:51-3:18:34
Before Rheinübung, Lütjens expected sacrifice and withheld the Nazi salute
Lütjens told an old friend he expected eventual sacrifice and used the traditional naval salute rather than the Nazi salute during Hitler's visit to Bismarck.