The ship participated in the Kamerun campaign early in World War I before she was transferred to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean in 1916 where she patrolled and escorted convoys.

She carried up to 630 tonnes (620 long tons) of coal and could steam for 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).

[3] Pothuau's main armament consisted of two 40-calibre 194 mm (7.6 in) Modèle 1893 guns that were mounted in single-gun turrets, one each fore and aft of the superstructure.

[4] The ship's secondary armament comprised ten 40-calibre 138 mm (5.4 in) Modèle 1893 guns, five on each broadside in casemates.

[1] Assigned to the Escadre du Nord (Northern Squadron), the ship represented France during Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Fleet Review at Spithead in June 1897 and then conveyed the President of France, Félix Faure, from Dunkerque to Russia the following August.

[3] In August 1914, at the beginning of World War I, Pothuau was serving in the Mediterranean Sea with the 1st Armée Navale (Main Fleet), patrolling off the eastern coast of Spain with the elderly battleships Jauréguiberry and Bouvet.

[14] The ship departed Toulon on 24 October to support the invasion of the German colony of Kamerun in Africa and remained there until relieved by the protected cruiser Friant on 21 June 1915.

Pothuau was then transferred to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean where she escorted Allied merchant ships and searched for German commerce raiders.

[3] Together with the British seaplane tender Raven II, Pothuau sailed for the Indian Ocean to hunt for the German merchant raider Wolf on 10 March 1917.