Scharnhorst and Gneisenau faced Renown with a numerical advantage of two ships to one. Their 11-inch guns nevertheless opposed Renown's six 15-inch guns. The German ships also had orders to avoid damage. Those constraints help explain their desire to disengage despite their numerical superiority and battleship classification.
Notable Point · 2:30:45-2:31:14
Renown's guns and the German need to avoid damage
Renown's heavier guns and German orders to avoid damage mattered more than a simple count of opposing capital ships.