Marceau class Ironclad

Marine Nationale (1882-93); Marceau, Magenta, Neptune.

The Marceau class were three ironclad barbette ships, the first large class of such vessels in the French Navy. They were built in 1882 to 1893. Marceau was the lead ship, followed by Neptune, and Magenta, and a fourth, Hoche was substantially re-designed and became her own class. The Marceau were based on the earlier Amiral Baudin class but with smaller guns, four 340 mm (13.4 in) compared to three 420 mm (16.5 in) guns, as they were believed to be more practical. They introduced the famous lozenge arrangement of French battleships of the next decade. However construction dragged on due to continuous tinkering with the design, and they ended as badly flawed ships. They operated in Mediterranean Squadron, then entered the Reserve Division as better pre-dreadnoughts entered service. All three were modernized in the early 1900s but still saw little activity afterward. Marceau and Magenta remained in use as training ships, but Neptune was retired. They were discarded in 1908 and 1913 but Marceau was still in use as floating workshop in World War I. She was sold for BU in 1921 but lost underway.

Design of the class

Design Development

The postwar decade after the Prussian catastrophy in 1870–1871, saw the French Navy much rediuced in size, as the army had all priority in the new context of expected preparation of the “revenge”. The Jeune Ecole arrive right on time to inflex a new policiy based on asymetrical warfare and the torpedo. But when the Regia Marina showed a dynamic expansion program under Benedetto Brin, including heavily armed, very large ironclad warships (Duilio and Italia class), the French initially brushed away these concerned, but public pressure in 1877, force the Navy’s Conseil des Travaux (Board of Construction) to create the barbette ship Amiral Duperré, that was to be followed by six other barbette ironclads, all armed with a new French 100-ton gun. The two Amiral Baudin-class ironclads had such guns in open barbettes on the centerline, issues with the new 76-ton gun prompted the naval command to abandon the 100-ton variant.

It was ordered a modified 76-ton gun, with a longer barrel, adapted to use new propellant charges. The result was higher muzzle velocity, making for better penetration and range, performing better than the 100-ton gun in project. The Amiral Baudin class was too advance to be revised and were completed as expected but the other four in the program, were to be armed with this new 75 rons 340 mm main guns designed to out-range Italian Ironclads. The design was prepared by naval engineer Charles Ernest Huin. It was radically different compared to the Amiral Baudins for their main arrangement. He designed, instead of three guns in the axis, a four gun arrangement in a lozenge, with one fore and aft, two in the wings. This became standard for future French capital ships over two decades. The idea was to maximize end-on fire in a view that favored ramming attacks and melee combat.

The new design was finalized in 1881, when very large guns were now out of favor in the French Navy. Instead, they were to be equipped with more manageable 52-ton guns. It was planned to built all four ships under the same design. But after work started on the first, Hoche, in August 1881 in Lorient, the technical director warned the naval brass than Huin’s design, already modified dozens of times by the French naval command, was unworkable. The proposed hull was too small for the weight of armament. Lorient shipyard engineers proposed widening the beam, increasing displacement. but Hoche was too far advanced to allow changes without breaking up the hull structure as it was. The other three had not been laid down. So it was decided to have them modified, but only retaining the barbettes of the earlier ships.

Marceau was ordered in 1881 from Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée (FCM), La Seyne-sur-Mer, laid down on 27 January 1882, but only launched on 24 May 1887 and completed in 14 March 1891. This was nine years. Her sisters fared not much better: Neptune, ordered at Arsenal de Brest, was laid down on February 1882 and launched on 7 May 1887 was completed only by July 1892 (ten years) and Magenta was ordered at Arsenal de Toulon, laid down in January 1883, launched on April 1890 and completed February 1893. Note that the average time from the keel up to launch was 6-7 years on average, that was longer than the British or German construction of a battleship from keel-laying to commission.

This was the result of a poisining situation, mainly two main causes: One was purely technical: The French shipyards, plagued by the same budget-cutting measures post-1972 as the rest of the Navy, experienced a chronic lack of investment. They never received the necessary modernizations as no private financing was possible (it was way above what the shipyard can afford) and state funding was deferred each time and never acted upon as no agreement could be found. Building new battleships is always sexier to present to the press than iunvesting massively on shipyards. Plus the shipyards themselves were often located inside the city, and due to real estate pressure, they just could not be enlarged. As a result, French shipyards lagged behind all their contemporaries. Organization and methods remained those of the mid-19th century, and this was worsened in the 1880s by social troubles and frequent strikes.

To add insult to injury, neither the political situation, nor the naval staff were helping. Instead of a constant line, the Jeune Ecole under Admiral Aube that arrived in charge in 1886-87 started to undermine all efforts of standardization on battleships, before his influence was enough to put a brake of battleships construction altogether. The 3rd Republic was famously unstable, with frequent government changes, meaning the minister of the Navy also frequently changed. If programs were more of less respected, it was frequent to have new ministers trying to tinker with the design of ships in construction, and so did the naval to brass. This particularly true for Hoch and the three Marceaus. Design changes were sent to the Yards in charge, often forced to revise already agreed plans multiple times over the years. Sometimes, only to reverse a decision made years prior. Those constant back-and-forth in the end contrubuted to have these ships many years beyond schedule. Paradoxically of their inaugurated a brand new, and totally French arrangement of armament, in general, they were obsolete when in service by 1892-94 and suffered a lot of issues, notably of stability that were sever enough to restrict their use.

Hull and general design

The Marceau class displaced 10,558 long tons (10,727 t). They reached 98.6 m (323 ft 6 in) in lenght between perpendiculars (100 m oa) for a beam of 20.06 to 20.19 m (65 ft 10 in to 66 ft 3 in) and draft ranging from 8.23 to 8.43 m (27 ft to 27 ft 8 in). As customary for the time, they had a pronounced tumblehome and ram bow. Marceau, from FMC, ended with a comparatively light superstructure. Neptune and Magenta however had large structures that plagued stability, just like Hoche, rebuilt several times. For ASW protection, their hulls were divided into watertight compartments by thirteen transverse bulkheads, seventeen longitudinal bulkheads. They also had a double bottom. Iron was used for the hull, apart the armour, but superstructures were made in steel to save weight.

They had a small conning tower aft of the forward main battery gun, just clearing it. Marceau had two pole masts with fighting tops for the light guns and a spotting top. Magenta had a heavy military mast forward. Neptune hd two heavy military masts. The hull had a constant beam as well, with the wether deck two storey-high, above the secondary battery, then a tall two-storey structure, on which were perched five boats on deck, three close to the aft mast and two close to the forefunnel. There were also foor smaller boats under davits aft for a crew that ranged from 643 to 651 officers and ratings. As usual the main barbette gun forward was very close to the prow, the barrel just a few feets away from the start of the long ram. The ships were completed with anti-torpeo nets as well, which did nothing to improve on stability. Marceau, unlike her sisters, had thinner pole masts supporting a fighting and spotting top, and they were accessed by rome latters, whereas military masts on her sisters had internal stairs.

Powerplant

Marceau had a pair of compound steam engines driving a single a screw propeller. Magenta and Neptune however had four such engines and a pair of shafts to help in agility. Steam came from eight coal-burning fire-tube boilers on Marceau and Magenta, Neptune instead was completed by twelve boilers. In the early 1900s, they were modernized with sixteen Niclausse boilers, all of the water-tube model. These boilers were ducted into a single funnel aft of the conning tower. The engines were rated for 11,000 indicated horsepower (8,200 kW). This made for an anemic (in 1894) top speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph). Coal storage ranged between 600 to 740 t (590 to 730 long tons; 660 to 820 short tons) for a range probably around 2,000 nm.

Protection

The Marceau class battleship combined mild steel for the structure and compound armor, backed by mild steel but this varied among them.

Belt

It extended for the entire length, 2.3 m (7.5 ft) wide, 0.61 to 0.76 m (2 to 2.5 ft) above the waterline. It was backed by teak, 457 mm (18 in) at the upper edge (central portion, where) over the ammunition magazines and propulsion down to 356 mm (14 in) at the bottom edge, then further tapered to 254 mm (10 in) at the top edge, 229 mm (9 in) at the bottom edge. The stern section was 305 mm (12 in) and 254 mm. Marceau and Neptune had compound armor belts, Magenta had a steel belt.

Armor deck

It was 80 mm (3.1 in) of wrought iron, atop 10 mm (0.4 in) of steel, attached to the upper edge. Above the armour deck was a cofferdam filled with cellulose forwar to limit flooding, in the Bertin’s style.

Barbettes

The main battery barbettes were 406 mm (16 in) thick. Theit supporting tubes down to the magazines were 203 to 229 mm (8-9 in).
Marceau had barbettes in steel, the others in compound armor. The magazines were not directly protected and relied on surrounding horizontal armor. The guns had 64 mm (2.5 in) thick gun shields to protect from light shrapnel and small arms fire.

Forward conning tower

It had 120 to 150 mm (4.7 to 6 in) thick walls.

Armament

Main battery:

The four Schneider 340 mm (13.4 in) were Modèle 1881 or Mle 1884 epending on the ship’s completion, in both cases they were 28-caliber. They were mounted in individual barbette mounts, one forward, one aft, centerline, two amidships in wing mounts. Marceau mixed M1881-1884 models but Neptune had four Mle 1884 guns, Magenta four Mle 1881. They all fired a 350 kg (770 lb) high-explosive shell filled with melinite. They used a separate loading bagged charges and projectiles Muzzle velocity was 555 m/s (1,820 ft/s) and max tange was 19 km (12 mi). They used an interrupted screw breech model and recoil used a Carriage with hydrualic dampers. Rate of fire was a round every five minutes.

Secondary battery:

The secondary battery comprised sixteen 138 mm (5.4 in) 30-cal. Modele 1884 guns in individual pivot mounts along the unarmored gun battery below the main deck. Eight guns per broadside. They fired 30 kg (66 lb) high-explosive shell at a muzzle velocity of 590 m/s (1,900 ft/s). No more data. navweaps only treats of the M1888 of latter battleships. ROF was about 4 rounds per minute and range c14,000m.

Tertiary battery:

For defeating torpedo boats, they had an average of 3-6 65 mm (2.6 in) guns, 9-18 47 mm (1.9 in) 3-pounder guns, 8-12 37 mm (1.5 in) 1-pounder five-barrel Hotchkiss revolving cannon. That was the take of Conways. Naval historian Eric Gille gives pointed out 5-7 65 mm guns, 9-12 47 mm guns, 8x 37 mm guns. Naval historian Paul Silverstone had them equipped with six 65 mm guns and twelve 47 mm guns. As for their torpedo armament, conways states 3-5 380 mm (15 in), Gille 5-6 tubes, Silverstone 5 tubes and the Naval Annual, pointed out four tubes, two per broadside.

Modernization

The Marceau class were modernized, herself receiving new sixteen Niclausse water-tube boilers installed in the early 1900s, and drastic reductions in their top-heavy structures, heavy masts removed. Despite of this, they saw limited use afterwards. Armament seems not to change over time either. Marceau and Magenta retoook their place as TS in 1903 but Neptune was placed in reserve, until parliamentary debates in 1908 decided upon their fate. Instead of modernizing Neptune, she was struck in 1908, but kept in reserved until stripped bare in 1913 and sold for BU. Magenta was struck in 1910, Marceau was converted as a floating workshop and tender for torpedo boats and submarines after as World War I broke out. She was sold for BU in 1921.

⚙ specifications
Displacement	10,558-10,810 long tons (10,727 to 10,983 t)
Dimensions	98.6 x 20.06-20.19 x 8.23-8.43 m m (323 ft 6 in x 66 ft x 27 ft-27 ft 8 in)
Propulsion	2 shafts Compound steam engines, 8-12 fire-tube boilers: 11,000 ihp (8,400 kW)
Speed	16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Range	4000 nm/10 kts est.
Armament	4× 340mm/28 M1881, 16×138mm/30 M1884, 3–7× 65 mm, 9–18× 47/40, 3–6× 380 mm TTs
Protection	Belt 229-457 mm, Deck 80 mm, CT 120-150 mm, Barbettes 406 mm, Gun shields 64 mm
Crew	643-651

Career

Marceau (1887)

Marceau was ordered in October 1880, contract awarded on 27 December 1880. She was laid down at Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée (FCM) at La Seyne-sur-Mer, laid down on 27 January 1882, launched on 24 May 1887 and completed on 14 March 1891. She started sea trials on 27 January 1890 but her initial testing was delayed until September. She was not fully manned until 17 January 1891. Official acceptance trials took place in February-March, for a full commission on 14 March. She then visited Kronstadt, being inspected by Czar Alexander III. While back her dsquadron stopped in Spithead. Queen Victoria reviewed them. This was the last time Marceau was in the Atlantic as she was reassigned to the Mediterranean Squadron, joined by both sister ships in 1893 and akso joined Amiral Baudin, Formidable, Amiral Duperré, Courbet, Hoche, and Dévastation. She was part of the fleet maneuvers in the 3rd Division with Neptune and Dévastation (divisional flagship). Maneuvers included exercises on 1-10 July and larger manoeuvers on 17-28 July.

In 1895, Marceau, Courbet, Amiral Baudin, and Formidable all ran aground off Hyères after a navigation error. Marceau needed three tugs. She towed Amiral Baudin back to port. In the 1895 maneuvers in July, she was in a training cruise and shooting drills. She ws part of the second unit, attacking the defending 3rd fleet in Ajaccio. In 1896 her Squadron was joined by the new Brennus. She remained in the 1st Division for the usual summer maneuvers, attempting to defeat simulated attacks on the coast. In September-November, she was deployed as station ship at Ottoman Crete under unrest. In November, she was relieved by the cruiser Wattignies. In 1897, her squadron was reinforced by Charles Martel and Jauréguiberry. In 1897 fleet gunnery trials she tested a new system of centralized fire control. Marceau, Neptune, and Brennus made 25% hits from 3,000 yd (2,700 m) to 4,000 yd (3,700 m). In 1898, Marceau entered with her sisters in the training division. Later in 1899, Marceau was transferred to the torpedo school under Rear Admiral Gabriel Godin. She took part in the 1899 fleet maneuvers in July, sent in the port of Bonifacio to show the port could accomodate a squadron of ironclads. In 1900 she was relieved in the torpedo school by Magenta.

Reconstruction was authorized for Marceau, nominally assigned to the Reserve Division but anchored in Toulon and on 30 August 1900, sent to La Seyne for her major reconstruction. Her masts were cut down, engines modernized, sixteen Niclausse boilers installed, and a new 138.6 mm gun installed in the bow. This was over in May 1902, and she had sea trials but resume her role as training ship in Toulon. In 1906, she was converted into a TS for torpedo operators, in Toulon, active that way until 1910, then TS for electricians in 1911-1912, and TS for torpedo crews 1912-1914. In August 1914, she was converted into a floating workshop for torpedo boats and submarines. She was sent to Malta, but later moved to Corfu, then Brindisi in January 1918. She became also command ship for the 1st Submarine Squadron. In December 1918, she was sent to Bizerte, condemned on 5 July 1919, stricken on 1 October 1920, sold for BU to M. Saglia in Toulon on 30 September 1921. She left Bizerte on 17 January 1922, but as she was towed to Toulon, a storm caused her to run aground off Bizerte. She was dismantled there in the 1930s.

Neptune (1887)

Neptune was laid down at Arsenal de Brest, in February 1882, launched on 7 May 1887 and completed on July 1892. Sea trials started on 15 May 1891 but she was not fully manned until 21 September. Trials lasted until 1 December 1892, and she was in full commission, leaving for Brest on 26 December, then Toulon, arriving on 9 January 1893, joining the Mediterranean Squadron. She joined here Amiral Baudin, Formidable, Amiral Duperré, Courbet, Hoche, and Dévastation, taking part in that year’s fleet maneuvers in the 3rd Division with Marceau and Dévastation. In the annual manoeuvers of 1895 maneuvers she was in training cruise with shooting drills. Neptune was assigned to the second unit tasked to attack the defending third fleet in Ajaccio. The next year she remained in the 3rd Division, had fleet maneuvers 17-30 July. In 1897, she saw her unit reinforced by Charles Martel and Jauréguiberry. In the 1897 fleet gunnery trials she achieved 25% hit accuracy at 3,000 yd (2,700 m)-4,000 yd (3,700 m). Same routine for 1898. With the reorganization of 1899, she ended in a separate division attached to the Mediterranean Squadron, for torpedo and gunnery training purposes under Rear Admiral Gabriel Godin.

Modernization was scheduled for Neptune after the 1899 fleet maneuvers, and she was sent to Brest, placed in 2nd category of reserve. Her boilers were inspected and found in such bad condition she was inoperable. She was sent to the Reserve Division, Mediterranean Squadron but decommissioned in November 1901, waiting for her new Belleville boilers ordered in 1898. She lost her military masts in 1902, and was moved to Cherbourg on 5 July 1905 to had her new boilers installed. But the shipyard informed the navy that renovating her would be a waste given her design age and the navy heard it and cancelled the planned refit. Neptune was decommissioned on 1 June 1907 and awaited the results of a debate over naval expenditures in 1908. Senator Alcide Poirrier opposed any new reconstructions. Neptune was thus struck from the register on 4 February 1908 and spend as a target ship at Cherbourg in 1912. In November-December she was used in tests with new warhead shells, proving the superiority of Planclastite (nitrogen peroxide and carbon bisulfide). She sank in shallow water, was re-floated on 4 April 1913, towed back to port and sold for BU on 11 July, acquired on 20 October for demolition.

Magenta (1890)

Magenta was ordered from Arsenal de Toulon, and laid down in January 1883, launched on April 1890 and completed on February 1893. She was not fully manned until 1 January, having her last trials in April, official acceptance trials in June-September. It was discovered that when her main battery guns trained to one side in a turn, she heeled up to 12 degrees. Stability issues were the worse in class. Magenta was assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron, underway on 20 November but only active for 9 months. Her unit included her two sister ships and the Amiral Baudin, Formidable, Amiral Duperré, Courbet, Hoche, and Dévastation (see above).

In 1895 Magenta she became flagship for Rear Admiral E. T. MacGuckin de Slane, 3rd Division. In 1897, same routine. In 1898 she was reduced to reserve as new pre-dreadnoughts joined the fleet. She became a target: The submarine Gustave Zédé “torpedoed” her twice while she was at anchor, but she was underway the second time. The reorganization of 1899 sent her in a separate division attached to the Mediterranean Squadron for torpedo and gunnery training under Rear Admiral Gabriel Godin. Her reconstruction was authorized the same year. She still took part in the 1899 fleet maneuvers.

Magenta relieved Marceau on 1 June 1900 so she was assigned to the Reserve Division, layed in Toulon with new Belleville boilers ordered on 14 August and her existing boilers re-tubed to operate as TS, resuming service in 1903 in Toulon. The Belleville boilers were delivered in 1907 but in between the navy top brass and politicians decided the full overhaul was too costly for her. Neptune already had had her re-boilering cancelled. Magenta was instead decommissioned on 28 October 1907, struck from the register on 6 May 1909. She was used as a barracks ship in Toulon, replacing Colbert, sold for BU 1 August 1911.