You Beauty.
The problem with this entire "discussion" is the white-knuckled death grip clutching the pre-supposition that Wake-Walke's failure to take Bismarck under fire and Leach's decision to disengage after the loss of Hood are proof of a sudden attack of mass cowardice among the senior ranks of the RN. No other possibility is allowed. Any evidence that can remotely be construed to support the pre-ordained belief is enshrined, while any evidence to the contrary is dismissed as lies or error. Such a close minded approach is defective.
The pre-plan 4 map of the Counties' location relative to PoW (source of positional information unknown) cannot be reconciled with the distance run by Norfolk between 05:37 and 06:00 so it is ten miles when it needs to be, and 15 plus when that is more convenient, see the Violet and Green scenarios. As you say, when neither of these can be reconciled with Norfolk's range measurements, that is because the latter are lies.
Your fullsome acknowledgement of Antonio's earlier, excellent, groundbreaking work is 100% correct, but like you, I see only conclusion-driven research recently. A "revelation" to be justified, come what may.
There is no acceptance that it was inevitable that Leach would order an essential manouevre to reduce the headlong closing rate at or about 06:01:30 even though it was already delayed by avoiding Hood's wreck and should have occurred even earlier in line with Holland's last signal. Instead a pre-determined motive is applied to it, a madly speeded-up scenario is evisaged to facilitate it, and a conspiracy conjured up, responsible for hiding what evidence there is. So that "Never Again" will anybody say "PoW withdrew at 06:13" when it should have been sometime earlier. Depending on whether you consider the first part of withdrawing is not charging as hard at the enemy as you were.
This is not the rational, evidence-driven approach we have seen before from the thread starter.
Judging RN officers against "comic book" standards of "Boy's Own" heroism has no place here. Leach had just seen 1400 lives snuffed out and had a similar number under his hand. Destroyers and AMC's are numerous, and expendable if they cannot escape overwhelming force, (Glowworm and Rawalpindi). Suicidal defence of a nearby convoy may be demanded (Achates and Jervis Bay). There is no convoy behind PoW, just the possibility one might be found, maybe, sometime later.
Leach does not run for harbour but remains in contact, Lutjens has no free hand, and the watchers can divert victims out of reach. Lutjens has won a battle, but Wake-Walker has the initiative, and the further the Germans head west under observation, the more likely their destruction.
All the best
wadinga
