In 1943, the German battleship "Scharnhorst" moved to Norway, a position whence she could threaten the Arctic convoys to Russia. With "Tirpitz" and two armoured ships also in Norwegian fjords, it was necessary for the Royal Navy to provide heavy escorts for convoys between Britain and Russia. One of these was sighted by the Germans in early December 1943, and Allied intelligence concluded that the following convoy, Convoy JW 55B, would be attacked by the German surface ships. Two surface forces (Forces 1 and 2) were assigned to provide distant cover to JW 55B, which had left Loch Ewe on 22 December. On 25 December 1943, "Scharnhorst" was reported at sea, escorted by five Narvik-class destroyers ("Z-29", "Z-30", "Z-33", "Z-34", and "Z-38"). Force 1, comprising the heavy cruiser , and the light cruisers and "Sheffield", made contact shortly after 0900 on 26 December. A brief gunnery engagement followed, without damage to Force 1, but two hits from a cruiser's guns upon "Scharnhorst" resulted in the destruction of her radar controls. In worsening weather, unable to effectively control her fire, "Scharnhorst" was unable to convert a tactical advantage of greater range and weight of shot. Fearing she was in a gunnery duel with a battleship, "Scharnhorst" turned away, outdistancing her pursuers. She again outran Force 1 after a second brief skirmish around noon that did not further damage "Scharnhorst", but did result in hits on "Norfolk" which disabled a main battery turret and her radar. "Kriegsmarine" "Konteradmiral" (Rear Admiral) Erich Bey, aboard "Scharnhorst", having already detached his destroyers to independently seek out Convoy JW 55B, ordered "Scharnhorst" to return to port at Altafjord, Norway.