Scharnhorst and Gneisenau served in the Far East before fighting at Coronel and the Falklands. Germany's habit of assigning powerful cruiser pairs there makes Moltke and Goeben plausible later replacements in this argument. Their commissioning in 1911 and 1912 would leave a period in which an eventual transfer could be anticipated. Dominion Lions would give the Australian and New Zealand squadrons ships capable of facing such opponents. This is a proposed future-threat calculation, not evidence that the transfer was certain.
Notable Point · 54:24-56:53
Moltke and Goeben as possible Far Eastern opponents
Germany's practice of sending powerful cruiser pairs overseas gives the Dominion Lion proposal a longer-term strategic rationale.