The 15-inch monitors could reach roughly 25,000 yards, compared with about 21,000 yards for the Dover Patrol's 12-inch monitors. Marshal Ney and Marshal Soult nevertheless made only about five knots in waters where a three-knot tide was common. That small margin over the current left little speed for maneuver or recovery from error. Their steering could swing them as much as 90 degrees off course among shoals. The comparison turns a theoretical gunnery advantage into a practical lesson about propulsion, helm response, and confined-water navigation.
Chapter · 23:08-24:02
Dover Patrol monitors gain range but lose control in tidal waters
The Marshal Ney-class monitors extend bombardment range beyond the 12-inch ships, but five-knot speed and erratic steering make that firepower difficult to position safely off Belgium.