Goeben and Breslau bombarded Philippeville and Bône in French Algeria, then needed coal before they could continue. They reached Messina while a German collier also obtained coal with Greek permission to support their eastward movement. British battlecruisers had encountered the German squadron before Britain declared war, while Troubridge later came close enough to intercept but lacked the speed to dictate a battle. His 23-knot armoured cruisers faced a Goeben still capable of roughly 24.5 to 25.5 knots and a still faster Breslau. When Milne left Malta, his battlecruisers offered only a marginal speed advantage, whereas Lion's 27.5 knots is the capability that makes a different outcome credible.
Chapter · 28:58-32:18
The historical chase shows the speed problem
A reconstruction of Goeben and Breslau's movements explains how coaling, timing, and a small speed advantage frustrated the British pursuit.