A split German sortie against Force H and the Home Fleet

What if Scharnhorst and Gneisenau sortied from French ports while Bismarck and Tirpitz sailed from the north?

Britain would probably form two carrier-backed interception groups, with Somerville's Force H covering the Bay of Biscay and Tovey's Home Fleet meeting the northern pair.

A split German sortie would create separate northern and Bay of Biscay interception problems. Three King George V-class battleships with Victorious are proposed for the northern force, while Hood, Renown, Repulse and Ark Royal would meet Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in the south. Slower battleships could follow both groups as a backstop. James Somerville would probably command the reinforced Force H, with John Tovey directing the northern action. Somerville's aggressive approach would bring Sheffield and the other cruisers into the fight. Holland had kept cruisers clear at Denmark Strait to avoid crossfire and confusion between 8-inch shell splashes and battleship fire. That reasoning is understandable, although the judgment here favours involving the cruisers. Reinforcing the British fleet also changes its commanders and their decisions, so the scenario cannot preserve every feature of the original battle.