She was sunk by the Imperial German Navy cruiser SMS Emden during the Battle of Penang in 1914, a few months after the beginning of World War I.

[5] The destroyers and their sister Pistolet were transferred to the Far East Squadron (escadre de l'Extrême-Orient) based in French Indochina in April 1904; they traveled there in company with the protected cruiser D'Assas.

[4] At the start of World War I in August 1914, the Naval Division of the Far East included Mousquet, along with the armored cruisers Montcalm and Dupleix, D'Iberville, and the destroyers Pistolet and Fronde.

The destroyers and D'Iberville were initially sent to patrol the Strait of Malacca while the armored cruisers were sent north to join the search for the German East Asia Squadron.

[9] In the early hours of 28 October, the German light cruiser SMS Emden raided Triple Entente warships in the Battle of Penang.

Mousquet was approaching the harbor at George Town, Penang, when Emden fled, having torpedoed and sunk the Russian protected cruiser Zhemchug.

The damage from Emden's shell quickly proved to be fatal, and once it became apparent that she was sinking by the bow, the Germans ceased firing and came close by to pick up survivors.