Milne might retain Lion near the Strait of Messina to guard against a westward escape, rather than let Beatty race east independently. Even after the British force turned east, catching Goeben would require Lion to gain several knots for many hours. A hard-driven pursuit still had a small chance of closing the gap, especially in wartime conditions, though success remained unlikely. Concentration preserved strength while wasting Lion's superior speed, the one capability that made interception credible.
Notable Point · 36:13-38:49
If Milne keeps Lion close
Attaching Beatty tightly to Milne preserves concentration but may waste Lion's decisive speed advantage and leave the historical escape largely unchanged.