initial sea trials, she reached for a top speed of . Coal storage amounted to , which allowed Marceau to steam for at a speed of . Her main armament consisted of four 28.5-caliber guns mounted in individual barbette mounts, one forward and one aft, both on the centerline, and two amidships in wing mounts. Two of the guns were the M1881 type and the other two were the updated M1884 variant. These guns were supported by a secondary battery of seventeen M1884 guns, all carried in individual pivot mounts in an unarmored gun battery in the hull, eight guns per broadside, and the last gun in a firing port in the bow. For defense against torpedo boats, she carried an extensive battery of light guns. These included four M1888 quick-firing guns (QF), twelve M1885 QF guns, and eight Hotchkiss revolver cannon. She also carried a single 47 mm revolver cannon that could be fitted to one of her pinnaces, and two 65 mm field guns that could be sent ashore with a landing party. In addition to her gun armament, she was equipped with six torpedo tubes, all above water; two were in the amidships battery deck forward, two on the armor deck amidships, and the last pair at the same level further aft. The ship was protected with a combination of mild steel and compound armor; her belt was thick and extended for the entire length of the hull. Horizontal protection consisted of an armor deck that was thick. The barbettes for the main battery were thick and the supporting tubes that connected them to their magazines were . The guns themselves were protected by gun shields. Her conning tower was thick. Service history Construction – 1896 Marceau was ordered in October 1880 and her contract was awarded on 27 December 1880, but work did not begin assembling material until 27 January 1882. Her keel was not laid down until 28 November at the shipyard in La Seyne-sur-Mer. Work proceeded slowly, and she was not launched until 24 May 1887. This was a result of the influence of Admiral Théophile Aube, who was the Minister of Marine in 1886–1887; Aube was a staunch advocate of the so-called and opposed new battleship construction. Fitting out work was completed much more quickly, however, and she was commissioned to begin sea trials on 27 January 1890. Her initial testing was delayed