On learning of the German movement, the Admiralty came to the conclusion that the Germans were attempting to break the blockade that the Allies had placed on Germany and use their fleet to disrupt Atlantic trade routes.
Da admiralitetet hørte om de tyske bevægelser, kom man til den konklusion, at tyskerne forsøgte at bryde den blokade, de Allierede havde etableret af Tyskland, for at kunne bruge deres flåde til at afbryde de atlantiske handelsruter.