If Britain used a decoy convoy, what force would it send against both German battleships?
Short answerCombine fast capital ships and carrier aircraft to stop the raiders escaping, then bring Nelson and Rodney into the fight.
NotesAn effective ambush needed ships fast enough to prevent Scharnhorst and Gneisenau escaping. King George V, Prince of Wales, Hood, Renown, and Repulse could form the pursuit element, with Nelson and Rodney adding decisive gun power. A carrier force beyond the horizon could strike first and reduce the Germans' speed before the surface forces appeared. The proposed sequence separates the tasks of finding, slowing, holding, and finally destroying the raiders.