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Chromolithograph of HMS Magicienne by W. Fred Mitchell, 1892
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Class overview | |
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Name | Marathon class |
Builders | |
Operators | Royal Navy |
Built | 1887–1889 |
In commission | 1889–1920 |
Completed | 5 |
Retired | 5 |
General characteristics | |
Type | 2nd class cruiser |
Displacement |
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Propulsion | Dürr boilers (Medusa)[1] |
Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
Complement | 218 |
Armament |
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The Marathon-class cruiser was a class of second class cruiser of the Royal Navy ordered under the naval programme of 1887. The class was a smaller version of the Mersey class.
Three of the ships, Melpomene, Magicienne and Marathon, were built for foreign (tropical) service, with a sheath of wood and copper - this added weight and made them slightly slower.