French ironclad Magenta
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| History | |
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 France
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| Name: | Magenta |
| Namesake: | Battle of Magenta |
| Builder: | Brest |
| Laid down: | 22 June 1859 |
| Launched: | 22 June 1861 |
| Fate: | Exploded and sank 31 October 1875 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Magenta-class ironclad |
| Displacement: | 7,129 tonnes |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Endurance: | 3 months of food, 700 tonnes of coal |
| Complement: | 681 men |
| Armament: |
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Magenta was a broadside ironclad of the French Navy, lead ship of her class. She served as flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron.
On 21 July 1875, Magenta was serving as flagship in a naval exercise involving six ironclads – Magenta and five Alma-class central battery ironclads – and a number of smaller ships in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the east coast of Corsica . The ironclads were steaming in beautiful weather at 8 knots in two parallel columns, with Magenta leading one column, followed by Jeanne d′Arc and Reine Blanche, and Armide leading the other, followed by Thétis and Alma. At 12:00 noon the admiral commanding the squadron ordered the screw corvette Forfait, operating as a dispatch vessel, to pass astern of Magenta to receive orders. Attempting to place his ship in the column between Magenta and Jeanne d′Arc, the commanding officer of Forfait misjudged his turn, and Jeanne d′Arc collided with Forfait, her ram bow tearing into Forfait′s side. Forfait sank 14 minutes later, her crew of 160 taking safely to her boats; her commanding officer floated free from the bridge as Forfait sank beneath him, but also was rescued.
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Wikipedia