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 ship French ironclad Reine Blanche 2 , and ship French ironclad Armide 2 leading the other, followed by ship French ironclad Thétis 2 and ship French ironclad Alma 2 , when at 12:00 noon the admiral commanding the squadron ordered the screw corvette ship French corvette Forfait 2 , operating as a dispatch vessel, to pass astern of Magenta to receive orders.