She was sunk with all hands when she was rammed by the pre-dreadnought battleship Saint Louis on 8 June 1912 while on maneuvers off the Casquets in the English Channel.

The Pluviôse class were built as part of the French Navy's 1905 building program to a double-hull design by Maxime Laubeuf.

[4] The first six boats completed were armed with a single 450-millimeter (17.7 in) internal bow torpedo tube; Vendémiare had one fitted in early 1910 while she was still under construction.

The other launchers were a rotating pair of Drzewiecki drop collars in a single mount positioned on top of the hull at the stern.

[6] Vendémiaire sank with the loss of her entire crew of 24 on 8 June 1912 after colliding with the battleship Saint Louis in the English Channel off the Casquets during maneuvers.