On July 31st, 1914, the _Goeben_, a battle cruiser armed with ten 11-inch guns, and with a full speed of twenty-eight to twenty-nine knots, was at Brindisi in the territorial waters of Italy, a country which was then regarded by the Germans as an ally. She was joined there on August 1st by the _Breslau_, a light cruiser of some three knots less speed than the _Goeben_ and armed only with twelve 4.1-inch guns. The German commanders had been warned of the imminence of hostilities with France—and, indeed, upon that day French territory had been violated by German covering troops, though war had not yet been declared. The French Fleet was far away to the west, already busied with the transport of troops from Algeria and Morocco to Marseilles. Based upon Malta and in touch with the French was the British heavy squadron of three battle cruisers. The _Indefatigable_, a heavier and faster vessel than either of the sisters _Inflexible_ or _Indomitable_, was certainly a match for the _Goeben_ by herself; the three battle cruisers combined were of overpowering strength. Accompanying the battle cruisers was the armoured cruiser squadron—_Black Prince_, _Duke of Edinburgh_, _Warrior_ and _Defence_—together with the light cruiser _Gloucester_. The other light cruisers and the destroyer escort do not come directly into my picture. The _Gloucester_—which, as she showed later, had the heels of the _Breslau_ though not of the speedy _Goeben_—was despatched at once to the Adriatic to keep watch upon the movements of the Germans. So long as the Germans were in the Adriatic, the English Admiral, Sir Berkeley Milne, could do nothing to prevent their junction with the Austrians at Pola, but upon August 2nd, they both came out and went to Messina, and so uncovered the Straits of Otranto, which gave passage between Messina and the Adriatic. The English battle cruisers then steamed to the south and east of Sicily, bound for the Otranto Straits. Rear-Admiral Troubridge, in command of the English armoured cruisers, remained behind. [Illustration: THE MEDITERRANEAN OPERATIONS.]