HMS Renown found Scharnhorst and Gneisenau while Lütjens was trying to draw British attention away from Narvik. He considered a longer action because it might buy time for the German destroyers to refuel and escape. His experience with light forces also made him acutely aware of the destroyers likely to join the British battlecruiser. More importantly, he believed HMS Rodney was approaching and judged that the German ships could not survive a combined action. Renown hit Gneisenau's director, rangefinder, and aft turret area, while electrical failures interrupted the German main batteries. Two hits on Renown failed to explode. Renown fired 230 fifteen-inch rounds, against Scharnhorst's 182 and Gneisenau's 54 eleven-inch rounds. Heavy weather damaged Renown and helped the Germans escape, but both German ships needed repair after a short and ammunition-intensive fight.
Chapter · 1:46:20-1:52:59
Renown tested Lütjens in his first capital-ship action
Lütjens considered fighting to protect the Narvik destroyers but withdrew after Renown damaged both German ships and the threat of Rodney made delay too dangerous.