▁was ▁initially ▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁attempt ▁to ▁destroy ▁these ▁forces , ▁because ▁the ▁I ▁Sc out ing ▁Group ▁was ▁tempor arily ▁weak ened ▁while ▁Von ▁der ▁T ann ▁was ▁in ▁dry d ock ▁for ▁periodic ▁maintenance . ▁R ear ▁Admir al ▁() ▁Richard ▁E ck ermann , ▁the ▁Chief ▁of ▁Staff ▁of ▁the ▁High ▁Se as ▁Fle et , ▁ins isted ▁on ▁the ▁operation , ▁and ▁so ▁In gen ohl ▁rel ented ▁and ▁ordered ▁Hi pper ▁to ▁take ▁his ▁battle c ru is ers ▁to ▁the ▁Dog ger ▁Bank . ▁On ▁ 2 3 ▁January , ▁Hi pper ▁sort ied , ▁with ▁Se yd l itz ▁in ▁the ▁lead , ▁followed ▁by ▁Mol t ke , ▁Der ff ling er , ▁and ▁Bl ü cher , ▁along ▁with ▁four ▁light ▁cru is ers ▁and ▁ 1 9 ▁tor ped o ▁boats . ▁ ▁Again , ▁inter ception ▁and ▁dec ryption ▁of ▁German ▁wireless ▁signals ▁played ▁an ▁important ▁role . ▁Although ▁they ▁were ▁una ware ▁of ▁the ▁exact ▁plans , ▁the ▁crypt ograph ers ▁of ▁Room ▁ 4 0 ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁dedu ce ▁that ▁Hi pper ▁would ▁be ▁conduct ing ▁an ▁operation ▁in ▁the ▁Dog ger ▁Bank ▁area . ▁Vice ▁Admir al ▁Beat ty ▁was ▁again ▁task ed ▁with ▁intercept ing ▁and ▁destroy ing ▁Hi pper ' s ▁battle c ru is ers . ▁At ▁ 0 8 : 1 4 ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁January , ▁the ▁German ▁cru iser ▁ ▁sp otted ▁the ▁light ▁cru iser ▁ ▁and ▁several ▁destroy