"Operation Berlin was a successful commerce raid performed by the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau between January and March 1941. The commander-in-chief of the operation was Admiral G\u00FCnther L\u00FCtjens, who subsequently commanded the famous cruise of Bismarck and Prinz Eugen.The two ships aborted the operation in December 1940, but finally sailed from Kiel on 22 January 1941. They were spotted en route through the Great Belt and the British Admiralty was informed."@en .