 Tegetthoff , along with her sister ships SMS Viribus Unitis , SMS Prinz Eugen , and the remainder of the Austro @-@ Hungarian Navy , was mobilized on the eve of World War I to support the flight of SMS Goeben and SMS Breslau . The two German ships were stationed in the Mediterranean and were attempting to break out of the strait of Messina , which was surrounded by British troops and vessels and make their way to Turkey . After the Germans successfully broke out of Messina , the navy was recalled . The fleet had by that time advanced as far south as Brindisi in south eastern Italy . Tegetthoff also participated in the bombardment of the Italian city of Ancona in May 1915 . Following these operations Tegetthoff remained in Pola for most of the remainder of the war . 
