Scharnhorst and Gneisenau sank five independently sailing vessels, although one transmitted enough information to help the Admiralty locate the raiders in the western Atlantic. Lütjens then changed strategy and headed for the SL route from Sierra Leone to Liverpool. This move promised easier targets but again exposed the German force to British convoy protection. The sinkings also reinforced the value of concentration in convoys even when dispersed ships appeared easier to move.
Chapter · 2:08:49-2:10:22
The raiders shifted from protected convoys to dispersed shipping
After abandoning HX 106, the German ships found vulnerable dispersed merchants and then turned toward the Sierra Leone convoy route.