Two extra knots could rewrite an entire battle sequence

How much longer would faster German pre-dreadnoughts remain under fire?

The encounter could change completely because extra speed alters positions and formations over hours.

Two extra knots accumulate over hours and place formations in different locations when contact occurs. The change cannot be treated as simply two more knots during the same battle, because it alters when and where the fleets meet. The German ships might encounter the Grand Fleet while still in high-speed formation rather than after settling into another phase of movement. Small performance changes can therefore rewrite an operational sequence instead of merely improving a ship inside an unchanged scenario.