The big race between Admiral Souchon and British Fleet

While Admiral Souchon sailed on  05.08.1914 ( at  midnight ) again, the British
government declared war to Germany. He was  to escape anyway, because he
had only two warships  under  hand, while  the  British Mediterranean Fleet had
more than 10 ships, including  two  powerful battlecruisers. As the Goeben and
light cruiser Breslau left the harbor, their  crews fully expected to find the British
Fleet waiting for them. But, amazingly, Admiral Milne sent only one ship, a light
cruiser HMS Gloucester. This decision was a disaster for the British side..

HMS Gloucester sighted the German  warships by the light of bright moon and
sent a message  to Admiral  Milne  that, their  course  changed  to  east. At the
same time  the German  battlecruiser  sighted  the  British  cruiser, but Admiral
Souchon didn' t want to open fire on Gloucester. Because  he  had  no any time
to waste for a fight and he didn' t want to stress the Goeben' s turbines. Instead
of a meaningless fight, he  tried  to jam his enemies'  radio signals. In  the  next
morning, Gloucester tried to get closer and opened fire on German ships. This
time Admiral Souchon  ordered  fire, and  Goeben  opened  fire  on  the British
cruiser. But, no one could be succesful to score a single hit.

Admiral Wilhelm Souchon

During  the  course, another  four  British warships ( Admiral E.C. Troubridge' s
fleet ) sighted  the two German  warships. But Troubridge' s ships were smaller
then SMS Goeben  and  their gun  range and  power could  not be compared to
the German battlecruiser. So, it was  not  possible to stop Goeben. It  was  also
meaningless  to  open  fire  on, because of  the Goeben' s  superior  gun range.
Her 28 cm shells could  easily  damage  the  lighter  British  cruisers. Following
the crisis, Admiral Milne steamed to Turkish  waters with  his battlecruisers  but
it was dramatically too late..