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The first ship completed, ''Dupleix'', was initially assigned to the Atlantic Division as its flagship. Her sisters were initially assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron's Light Squadron ({{lang|fr|Escadre légère}}), although ''Desaix'' relieved ''Dupleix'' as flagship of the Atlantic Division in 1905. In her turn ''Kléber'' relieved ''Desaix'' as flagship of the Atlantic Division in 1907. ''Desaix'' took ''Kléber''{{'}}s place in the Light Squadron. While visiting the United States later that year, the cruiser accidentally collided with and sank an American [[cargo ship]] and participated in the [[Jamestown Exposition]], celebrating the tercentenary of the founding of [[Jamestown, Virginia]]. At the beginning of 1908, ''Kléber'' became flagship of the Moroccan Division ({{lang|fr|Division du Maroc}}).<ref>{{cite book |author1=U.S. Department of Commerce and Labor Bureau of Navigation |title=Thirty-Ninth Annual List of Merchant Vessels of the United States for the Year Ending June 30, 1907 |date=1907 |publisher=Government Printing Office |___location=Washington, D.C. |page=379 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3330071}}</ref><ref>Jordan & Caresse, pp. 95, 210; Sieche, pp. 150, 155, 157</ref>
The sisters all spent significant amounts of time before 1914 in reserve. ''Dupleix'' from 1906 to 1909, ''Desaix'' from 1909 to 1914 and ''Kléber'' in 1909–1910 and 1913–1914. ''Dupleix'' was reactivated in 1910 to serve as the flagship of the Far Eastern Division ({{lang|fr|Division navale de l'Extrême Orient}}) and was joined by ''Kléber'' in 1911–1912. ''Dupleix'' was replaced as flagship in 1913 by the larger and more spacious, albeit older, armored cruiser
''Desaix'' and ''Kléber'' were reactivated in July 1914 and were assigned to the 3rd Light Division of the 2nd Light Squadron which was tasked to defend the English Channel in conjunction with the British. The 3rd DL was on station in the western end of the Channel by 4 August, where their mission was to intercept German shipping and provide distant [[Covering force|cover]] for the smaller ships escorting convoys in the Channel. Improved defenses in the Channel and the stabilization of the front in early 1915 allowed the cruisers to be released from their tasks, so ''Desaix'' was assigned to the 3rd Squadron upon her arrival in the [[Eastern Mediterranean]] on 16 February. The squadron was tasked to patrol the area between [[Port Said]], [[Egypt]], and [[Alexandretta]], [[Ottoman Syria]]. The cruiser was detached in May to assist the 1st Naval Army ({{lang|fr|1<sup>re</sup> Armée Navale}}) in the Central Mediterranean with searching for German shipping near Italian ports. She rejoined the 3rd Squadron and was tasked to help blockade the Ottoman coast near the Turkish and [[Ottoman Syria|Syrian]] border.<ref>Jordan & Caresse, pp. 223–224, 232–235</ref>
==References==
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