Marceau (original name: Z-31) was initially a German and then a French destroyer from the Second World War and the post-war period. The keel for this unit was laid in 1940, it was launched in March 1941, and it was commissioned in Kriegsmarine in 1942. The vessel was included in the Marine Nationale in 1946. The total length of the ship at the time of launching was 127 meters and a width of 12 meters. Full displacement reached approximately 3,600 tons, and maximum speed - up to 38-39 knots. The main armament at the time of the launch included: 4 150 mm guns, 9 20 mm anti-aircraft guns and 2 quadruple 533 mm torpedo tubes. The Z-31 was the leading unit of the Type 1936A (Mob) destroyer. This type of destroyer was in turn a modification of the Type 1936 and Type 1936A units, with very similar artillery armament and combat capabilities. During World War II, the destroyer Z-31 operated mainly in the Arctic waters and the Norwegian Sea, and in December 1942 took part in the Battle of the Barents Sea. The unit luckily survived the war and found its way to France under war reparations, changing its name to Marceau. In the years 1948-1950, the unit underwent a major renovation and modernization, including the replacement of the main armament (150 mm guns were replaced with 105 mm guns) and anti-aircraft guns. After renovation and modernization, Toulon turned out to be the main base for Marceau. However, already in 1953, the unit was put into reserve, and in January 1958 it was sold for scrap.
The Z31 was a German destroyer, the keel of which was laid in 1940 and launched in May 1941. The destroyer entered the rope service in the German Navy (German Kriegsmarine) in April 1942. The ship was 127 meters long, 12 meters wide, and had a full displacement of 3,600 tons. Destroyer Z31's maximum speed was 38.5 knots! The main armament at the time of launch was 4 150 mm guns in four single turrets, and the secondary armament was: 4 37 mm cannons, 9 20 mm cannons, and 8 533 mm torpedo tubes and mines.
The Z31 was the ninth of the Narvik or 1936A class, but the first of the Mob. These types of destroyers were an extension of the Type 1936 destroyers. The main changes were to strengthen the armament and replace the main artillery from 127 mm cannons with 150 mm cannons. Sea performance has also been slightly improved and the swimming range has been slightly extended. The result was a series of large destroyers that could, under favorable conditions, engage in combat with Allied light cruisers or French large destroyers. The Mob subtype, on the other hand, had reinforced anti-aircraft armament. Destroyer Z31's combat career began in December 1942, when it was transferred to Norway. He managed to take part in the Battle of the Barents Sea on December 31, 1942. In the years 1943-1944, it served with breaks in Norwegian waters and the North Atlantic. In January 1945, he attempted to break through to the Baltic Sea, but was damaged by British ships and only after repairs made it to the sea in March of the same year. From March to April 1945, he supported the German land forces fighting the advancing Red Army, including in the area of the Polish Tricity. The Z31 survived the war and was handed over to Great Britain, and later France, as a prey, where it was incorporated into that country's navy in 1946 under the name of Marceau. The ship was placed in reserve only in 1953, and scrapped in the early 1960s.
