Byron Angel wrote: "The answer is simple: The Br CAs did not engage because W/W was operating upon the principle that maintaining shadow contact with Bismarck was of overriding importance to the operation and that even a single major caliber hit from Bismarck could prevent that mission from being carried out."
Byron, I can't agree: the mission of the British forces was not an exercise at sea to practice shadowing techniques against a potential enemy.....
Once the cruisers had shadowed BS (for better or worse during the night from 23 to 24....), and after the enemy report from PoW at 5:37, for ALL ships involved the clear duty was to attack and possibly sink, stop or at least damage BS and PG.
To stay out of a battle as a spectator is only acceptable if explicitly ordered so, however I'm not aware of any order to WW exempting him from fighting....
Any heavy hit from BS to Norfolk was very unlikely due to the presence of the British battleships (Lutjens would not have turned the 15" guns to Norfolk until having sunk PoW and Hood) and any 8" hit on BS or PG from Norfolk could have been very valuable to achieve the above mission objectives.
Only the fact that BS was sunk on May 27 (thanks to Ark Royal, not to Norfolk), saved WW from a well due Investigation and possible Court-Martial.
Bye, Alberto