Between patrols, Kennedy had told his wife that he would run if he sighted Deutschland, an important counterweight to any claim that he was seeking a heroic last stand. On 23 November Rawalpindi had been briefed to expect that cruiser, but later evidence established that the contact was with the much more powerful Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. The smoke floats failed, fog and an iceberg offered only uncertain cover, and the faster German ships closed off the escape route. Kennedy ignored orders to stop only after those attempts to preserve his ship had failed. His decision to fight therefore emerged from narrowing options rather than a simple choice between combat and immediate safety.
Notable Point · 46:05-50:47
Fog, smoke, an iceberg, and the narrowing escape options
Kennedy's stated intention to evade Deutschland matches Rawalpindi's attempts to use course changes, smoke, fog, and an iceberg before fighting the faster German ships.