Operation Berlin followed earlier efforts that had failed to produce a sustained Atlantic sortie. The armed merchant cruiser HMS Rawalpindi was sunk in 1939, but the encounter convinced the German ships that their position had been reported and that British forces would converge. In June 1940 the Thames-class submarine HMS Clyde torpedoed Gneisenau and imposed another delay. These setbacks help explain why the two ships did not begin Operation Berlin until January 1941 despite the strategic opportunity created by Norway's fall.
Notable Point · 46:30-48:03
Rawalpindi and HMS Clyde delayed the Atlantic breakout
Rawalpindi's 1939 encounter compromised German secrecy, while Clyde's torpedo hit on Gneisenau postponed another attempt until January 1941.