In 2001 Adam Claasen wrote that the losses inflicted on PQ 16 amounted to half the number of ships sunk by the Luftwaffe during April and May, the reinforcement of and the longer hours of daylight, putting Arctic convoys at an increasing disadvantage. Hitler anticipated an attempted landing in Norway and ordered that a maximum effort be made against the ships. Stumpff committed the largest air effort against an Arctic convoy since operations had begun. had refined its anti-shipping tactics and used the Golden Comb () tactic of combined dive-bombing and torpedo-bombing attacks, the torpedo-bombers flying in line abreast and releasing their torpedoes in a salvo. The torpedo-bombers had conducted their first operation against PQ 15 and sunk three ships. The Germans sent 101 Ju 88s and seven He 111 torpedo-bombers against PQ 16 and claimed nine ships sunk, six more so badly damaged that they were claimed as probably sunk and sixteen merchant ships damaged. The diarist wrote,
