Should four German battleships operate together or in pairs?

Would four German capital ships be more troublesome operating independently or in close groups?

Two class-based pairs could be especially dangerous because Britain must track two threats yet remain ready for all four to unite.

A single concentrated force is harder to defeat but searches a smaller portion of the Atlantic. Sending Bismarck and Tirpitz from Germany while Scharnhorst and Gneisenau sortie from France creates two fast threats that might later combine. Britain would need forces strong enough for the combined battle while also finding both pairs with a limited carrier inventory. Two pairs therefore spread the search problem without letting British planners discount a four-ship concentration. Requiring two battleships with each critical convoy would quickly exhaust an escort pool built around four surviving R-class ships plus Barham and Malaya.