NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Marceau after refit

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Magenta			Arsenal de Toulon	1/1883	19.4.1890	2/1893	stricken 1910
Marceau			F C de la Méditerranée, La Seyne	28.11.1882	24.5.1887	14.3.1891	TS 1906, repair ship 8.1914
Neptune			Arsenal de Brest	17.4.1882	7.5.1887	7/1892	hulk 2.1908

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	Marceau: 10558 Magenta: 10680 Neptune: 10810
Displacement full, t
Length, m	98.6 pp 101.6 oa
Breadth, m	Marceau: 20.2 Magenta, Neptune: 20.0
Draught, m	8.23 - 8.43
No of shafts	2
Machinery	Marceau: 2 VC, 8 cylindrical boilers Magenta: 4 VC, 8 cylindrical boilers Neptune: 4 VC, 12 cylindrical boilers
Power, h. p.	11000
Max speed, kts	16
Fuel, t	coal 740
Endurance, nm(kts)	4000(10)
Armour, mm	Marceau: compound; belt: 450 - 230, barbettes: 400, tubes: 230 - 200, shields: 65, deck: 90, CT: 150 - 120 Magenta: steel; belt: 450 - 230, barbettes: 400, tubes: 230 - 200, shields: 65, deck: 90, CT: 150 - 120 Neptune: compound; belt: 450 - 230, barbettes: 400 (steel), tubes: 230 - 200 (steel), shields: 65 (steel), deck: 90, CT: 150 - 120
Armament	Marceau: 4 x 1 - 340/29 M1881/M1884 (2 M1881 and 2 M1884), 16 x 1 - 139/30 M1884, 3 x 1 - 65/50 M1891, 9 x 1 - 47/40 M1885, 8 x 5 - 37/20 M1885, 3 - 380 TT (1 stern, 2 beam) Magenta: 4 x 1 - 340/29 M1881, 17 x 1 - 139/30 M1884, 6 x 1 - 65/50 M1891, 18 x 1 - 47/40 M1885, 12 x 5 - 37/20 M1885, 5 - 380 TT (1 stern 4 beam) Neptune: 4 x 1 - 340/29 M1884, 17 x 1 - 139/30 M1884, 6 x 1 - 65/50 M1891, 18 x 1 - 47/40 M1885, 12 x 5 - 37/20 M1885, 5 - 380 TT (1 stern 4 beam)
Complement	643 - 651

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

The ships of this class were not identical, but can be treated as one. They were high freeboard barbette ships with the usual marked tumblehome and except in Marceau high superstructures. The 340mm guns were far less powerful than the British 343mm of the period. The barbettes were located forward and aft and on either beam, and the 139mm were mostly in an unprotected main deck battery. These ships were so long in building that they were quite obsolescent when completed. There was a single funnel and Neptune had two heavy military masts, Magenta one and Marceau two lighter ones. A reliable British report on Magenta notes that there were a great number of unlined magazines scattered about the ship below the armour deck.

Ship protection

The belt was complete and about 2.3m wide of which 0.6-0.8m was above water. Amidships it was 1450mm at the upper edge tapering to 350mm at the lower and was reduced to 250-230mm forward and 300-250mm aft. There was a cofferdam above the belt filled with cellulose forward, and the armour deck was 80mm max iron on 10mm steel located at the belt upper edge. In Magenta belt and barbettes were steel, and in Marceau compound, while Neptune had a compound belt and steel barbettes.

Modernizations

1901, Marceau: was reboilered with 16 Niclausse boilers.

Naval service

No significant events.