After the Ramillies encounter, Lutjens and Scharnhorst's captain, Hoffmann, discussed their disagreement and developed a workable relationship. Gneisenau's flag captain helped, while Hoffmann's own personality and experience also mattered. Lutjens generally got on well with his captains through private, one-to-one conversations. Lindemann preferred larger meetings and disliked private discussions with admirals. Their later difficulty aboard Bismarck was therefore a particular mismatch of habits, compounded by limited experience of adapting to the other approach.
Notable Point · 1:46:01-1:47:17
Why a disagreement with Hoffmann remained manageable
Lutjens's working relationship with Scharnhorst's captain qualifies the idea that his private command style always prevented effective cooperation.