The class comprised Jemmapes and Valmy and were an improved version of the preceding Furieux, built for a higher speed with more modern Belleville boilers.

Launched in 1892, the ships served with the Northern Squadron (Esadre du Nord) of the French Navy.

They operated along with the similar Amiral Tréhouart and Bouvines as the Coastal Defence Division, being considered together "the most homogenous and dangerous squadron that one could meet at sea" by Vice Admiral Armand Bernard.

[1] To support these smaller vessels, a lesser number of powerful coastal defense ships were planned.

Krantz responded immediately with a request for a ship derived from Furieux but with more modern Belleville boilers to give a higher speed of 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph).

[3][4] The vessels were powered by two triple-expansion steam engines provided by St Denis that each drove one propeller shaft.

[5] Jemmapes and Valmy were armed with a main battery of two Canon de 340 mm (13.4 in) Modèle 1887 guns in a two single-gun turrets, one forward of the superstructure and the other aft.

[9] On 12 March 1895, as part of the naval budget debate, Vice Admiral Armand Bernard declared that the two ships of the class, alongside the related ironclads Amiral Tréhouart and Bouvines, were "the most homogenous and dangerous squadron that one could meet at sea".

[11][12] At the end of the century, the vessels were part of the Coastal Defence Division alongside Amiral-Tréhouart and Bouvines.

[13] Meanwhile, French naval doctrine was changing and the focus on coastal defense was being replaced by one of larger sea-going warships.