were protected by armor plates in thickness and they had roofs. Their barbettes had of nickel-steel armor. The secondary turrets had 100 mm sides and roofs. The conning tower had walls thick and its communications tube was protected by of armor. The curved armored deck was 70 mm on the flat and 100 mm on its slope. Service history Active career Charles Martel was laid down on 1 August 1891 by the Arsenal de Brest and launched on 29 August 1893. After completing fitting-out work, she was commissioned for her trials on 10 January 1896. In October they were interrupted so that the battleship could participate in a naval review in Cherbourg with President Félix Faure and Tsar Nicholas II. While conducting torpedo trials on 21 December, Charles Martel struck an uncharted rock that bent a propeller blade and slightly damaged the hull. Repairs were completed on 1 February 1897 and she was commissioned into the French Navy on 20 February. She was delayed in completing her sea trials, as her boiler tubes had to be replaced with a safer, weld-less design, following an accident aboard Jauréguiberry with the same type of tubes. Following her commissioning for service, she was assigned to the Escadre de la Méditerranée. While working up on 5 March, her rudder servomotor briefly declutched and the ship drifted onto a rock; damage was minimal and she began her voyage to Toulon three days later. On 6 August she became the flagship of (Rear Admiral) Paul Dieulouard and took part in fleet maneuvers off Golfe-Juan and Les Salins d'Hyères the following month. Gunnery training revealed problems with some of the guns failing to return to battery that were rectified in October–November. During a gunnery exercise on 29 March 1898, Charles Martel, together with her half-sisters Carnot, Jauréguiberry, and the older battleships Brennus and , sank the aviso . Faure came aboard Charles Martel to observe a training exercise on 14–16 April and the ship visited Corsica between 21 and 31 May. She participated in the annual fleet maneuvers beginning on 8 July and made port visits in French North Africa before returning to Toulon on 30 July. The ship was assigned to the 2e Division cuirassée (Second Battleship Division) of the Escadre de la Méditerranée in mid-September and Germain Roustan hoisted his flag aboard, replacing Dieulouard, on 25 September. As tensions rose during the Fashoda Incident with