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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>
===World War I===
''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>▼
After the French declaration of war on [[Imperial Germany]] in early August 1914, ''Dupleix'' was assigned to the British [[China Squadron]] and participated in the early stages of the blockade of the German-leased port of [[Tsingtao]]. By late September, the ship was assigned to escort duties in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea. She was transferred to the newly formed Dardanelles Squadron ({{lang|fr|Escadre des Dardanelles}}) in May 1915, which was tasked to blockade the Aegean coast of Turkey. On the 26th, the cruiser was attacked by Ottoman [[coastal artillery]] at [[Bodrum]] while inspecting shipping, losing 27 men killed and 11 wounded.<ref>Corbett, I, pp. 143, 149, 302, 334, 359; Jordan & Caresse, pp. 225, 236</ref>
▲''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. In contrast to her sister, ''Kléber'' was transferred to the [[Naval operations in the Dardanelles campaign|Dardanelles to support]] Allied forces in the Gallipoli Campaign in May where she joined the Dardanelles Squadron together with ''Dupleix'' and were assigned to blockade the coast of [[Asia Minor]].<ref>Jordan & Caresse, pp.
==References==
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