The goal of the Operation "Rheinübung" (Rhine Exercise) was for "Bismarck", under the command of "Kapitän zur See" Ernst Lindemann, and the heavy cruiser "Prinz Eugen", under the command of "Kapitän zur See" Helmuth Brinkmann, to break into the Atlantic and attack Allied shipping. "Großadmiral" Erich Raeder's orders to the Chief-of-Fleet "Admiral" Günther Lütjens were that "the objective of the "Bismarck" is not to defeat enemies of equal strength, but to tie them down in a delaying action, while preserving the combat capacity as much as possible, so as to allow "Prinz Eugen" to get at the merchant ships in the convoy" and "The primary target in this operation is the enemy's merchant shipping; enemy warships will be engaged only when that objective makes it necessary and it can be done without excessive risk."