On 16 August 1942, Admiral Scheer—under Kommodore Wilhelm Meendsen-Bohlken—left Narvik and entered the Barents Sea. Along with it went U-boats U-601, commanded by Captain Grau, and U-251, commanded by Lieutenant Captain Timm, as well as destroyers Friedrich Eckoldt, Erich Steinbrinck and Richard Beitzen.[1]