Breslau's speed does not let her rescue Goeben if she closes, because eight British destroyers and numerous secondary guns could concentrate on the light cruiser. Lion's 13.5-inch shells provide heavy hits while the armoured cruisers' 9.2-inch and smaller shells can strip Goeben's superstructure and fire-control systems. Lion could still take damage, but the German battlecruiser faces a larger cumulative weight of fire. Even a tactical escape becomes temporary if damage reduces Goeben to 15 or 18 knots, because Milne's older battlecruisers can then catch her.
Notable Point · 1:24:00-1:26:47
Why Goeben could not simply fight through the trap
Breslau, concentrated British gunfire, and the prospect of slower pursuers catching a damaged Goeben make the Cape Matapan branch a layered tactical trap.