Designed to have an offensive coast guard role, they rarely left their home port during their career and were the last of their type.

[2][full citation needed] They had wooden hulls with an iron ram and upper works.

Commanded by the Captains of the vessel Franquet, Schwerer, Massenet and Schlumberger, it became the centerpiece of the mobile defense of the port of Lorient in 1886 and was scrapped on 24 April 1896.

From 1873 Cerbère was commanded by Bailloud, then Cahagne and finally Riou de Kerprigent before being scrapped on 12 November 1886.

Le Tigre, commissioned at Rochefort in 1874 under Jouneau's command, was berthed at Brest, traveled regularly to Cherbourg and was finally scrapped on 13 February 1892.