The "D'Assas" class was an improvement over the "Friant" design; they carried the same armament on the same size hull, but with improved armor protection. All three ships began service in the Mediterranean Squadron in the late 1890s, though "D'Assas" was later transferred to the Northern Squadron in 1901 and then to French Indochina in 1904. "Du Chayla" supported an amphibious landing in French Morocco in 1907 and "Cassard" joined her there the following year. "D'Assas" was discarded in 1914, but the other two members of the class saw service during World War I, primarily patrolling the Atlantic for German commerce raiders. Both ships were partially disarmed late in the conflict and "Cassard" became a gunnery training ship while "Du Chayla" remained in active service. She took part in the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War in 1919 before being stricken from the register in 1921, while "Cassard" lingered on in service until 1924, when she was also stricken. "Cassard" was sold for scrap the following year and "Du Chayla" was eventually scrapped in 1933.