As war was brewing in Europe, SMS Goeben sailed in the Mediterranean. On the very day before Britain entered the war, British battlecruisers pursued Goeben, but did not engage as their war would only begin at midnight. The battlecruisers lost track of the German. Later, after bombarding a french port, she sailed for the Turkish port of Constantinople. The only ships that could have caught her were four armored cruisers. The commodore of that squadron intended to catch Goeben at first light, when they could get close enough to use their smaller guns against the bigger battlecruiser. Historically, the navigator said they could not make it before dawn, and the commodore broke off. Some people suggest that Goeben would not have had enough ammunition to sink or fight off all the cruisers, and that damage to the battlecruiser would have reduced its political value as a gift to Turkey for joining the Central Powers. What are some factors that must be considered were such a battle to be fought, what parallels can be drawn to other historical naval battles, what are some probable outcomes of the battle, and what would be some results after this battle if it were fought? Discuss in a four page essay, single spaced with Times New Roman font.
Troubridge was absolutely correct to not engage under the conditions as he understood them. It's really a shame his career was more or less destroyed over it. - he could not know the condition of Goeben's machinery. Nominally a 28 knot ship, Troubridge could not know he could catch Goeben. Without night to close the range when Goeben was blind, he had no reason to believe he would be able to do so. - Goeben's 11 inch outranged his own 9.2 inch. Using her theoretical speed, Goeben could stay outside the range of Troubridge's ACRs while still being able to hit back. That's what battlecruisers were designed to do. Ask Von Spee. - Heavier shells are generally more accurate as well, so longer range favors the Goeben's gunnery more then it does the ACRs - Goeben in running away could still present end-on aft fire of 8 guns to Troubridge's 2 9.2" assuming Troubridge engages in a column as usual. He's basically got his T crossed by a single ship using end on fire. If he fans out he can only match the number of turrets that bear on Goeben.
