Despite the Royal Navy winning a minor tactical victory over the "Kriegsmarine", the Germans considered the engagement a strategic success due to the fact that Whitworth's force was delayed long enough to keep it from interfering with the landings at Narvik. After the action had ended, Whitworth's force continued to search for the German capital ships. With the British squadron occupied, the German destroyer-transports managed to make their way through to Narvik after destroying two Norwegian coastal defence ships in their path. After their engagement with "Renown", the German battleships linked up with "Admiral Hipper" on the 11th near Trondheim. From there, they returned to Germany, reaching Wilhelmshaven on 12 April where the battle and weather damage to "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" was repaired.