The first ship completed, ''Dupleix'', was initially assigned to the Atlantic Division ({{lang|fr|Division de l'Atlantique}}) as its flagship. Her sisters were initially assigned to the [[Mediterranean Squadron's (France)|MediterraneanLight Squadron]] ({{lang|fr|Escadre de la Méditerranéelégère}}), although ''Desaix'' relieved ''Dupleix'' as flagship of the Atlantic Division in 1905. In her turn ''DupleixKléber'' wasrelieved reduced''Desaix'' toas 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 [[Reservecargo fleet|reserveship]] fromand 1906participated toin 1909the before[[Jamestown sheExposition]], wascelebrating sentthe totercentenary of the founding of [[FarJamestown, EastVirginia]]. inAt 1910the 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, {{ship|French cruiser|Montcalm|1900|2}}.<ref>Jordan & Caresse, p. 95</ref>
