into Albanian waters. Following this trip, returned to Pola and remained there from 21 August to 16 October for maintenance. On 29 June 1913, the Second Balkan War broke out and the Mediterranean Division was retained in the area. On 23 October 1913, (Rear Admiral) Wilhelm Souchon assumed command of the squadron. and continued their activities in the Mediterranean, and visited some 80 ports before the outbreak of World War I. The navy made plans to replace with her sister , but the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on 28 June 1914 and the subsequent rise in tensions between the Great Powers made this impossible. After the assassination, Souchon assessed that war was imminent between the Central Powers and the Triple Entente, and ordered his ships to make for Pola for repairs. Engineers came from Germany to work on the ship. had 4,460 boiler tubes replaced, among other repairs. Upon completion, the ships departed for Messina. World War I Pursuit of and Kaiser Wilhelm II had ordered that in the event of war, and should either conduct raids in the western Mediterranean to prevent the return of French troops from North Africa to Europe, or break out into the Atlantic and attempt to return to German waters, on the squadron commander's discretion. On 3 August 1914, the two ships were en route to Algeria when Souchon received word of the declaration of war against France. bombarded Philippeville, French Algeria, for about 10 minutes early on 3 August while shelled nearby Bône, in accordance with the Kaiser's order. Tirpitz and Admiral Hugo von Pohl then transmitted secret orders to Souchon instructing him to sail to Constantinople, in direct contravention of the Kaiser's instructions and without his knowledge. Since could not reach Constantinople without coaling, Souchon headed for Messina. The Germans encountered the British battlecruisers and , but Germany was not yet at war with Britain and neither side opened fire. The British turned to follow and , but the German ships were able to outrun the British, and arrived in Messina by 5 August. Refueling in Messina was complicated by the declaration of Italian neutrality on 2 August. Under international law, combatant ships were permitted only 24 hours in a neutral port. Sympathetic Italian naval authorities in the port allowed and to remain in port for around 36 hours while the ships coaled from a German