Operation Regenbogen used submarines as a tripwire, Admiral Hipper to draw off the escort, and Lützow to strike the merchants before beginning an Atlantic commerce raid. The diversion assumed the British fighting escorts would all chase Hipper instead of leaving ships to protect the convoy's other side. Fuel shortages had prevented another Hipper-class cruiser from adding weight to the attack. Hitler's demand that the large ships take virtually no risk undermined the initiative commanders needed to carry out the operation. Lützow's former name, Deutschland, added political pressure to preserve her while she was expected to undertake both the convoy attack and the subsequent raid. The leadership problem was a mission that required repeated exposure to danger while its commanders were instructed to act conservatively.
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Operation Regenbogen's contradictory orders
Germany planned to destroy the convoy and release Lützow into the Atlantic, while simultaneously ordering its heavy ships to avoid serious risk.