 Commander Bey was ordered during the afternoon of 10 April to return to Germany with all seaworthy ships that evening . Only Erich Giese and Wolfgang Zenker were ready for sea and they slipped out of the Ofotfjord and turned south . Visibility was good that night and they spotted the light cruiser HMS Penelope and her two escorting destroyers and Commander Bey decided to turn back even though his ships had not been spotted by the British . Three other destroyers refuelled and completed their repairs on 11 April , but Bey decided against another breakout attempt despite the fog and poor visibility that night . Bey made no attempt to breakout during the night of 12 / 13 April , possibly because two of the destroyers had been damaged earlier in the day when they ran aground . 
