Descartes remained in the Caribbean as war began and joined the unsuccessful hunt for the German cruiser Karlsruhe. She patrolled the West Indies through the middle of the war, although her service included collisions with a Spanish freighter and the British steamer Strathmore. After returning to France in 1917, the cruiser was placed in reserve and disarmed. Her guns went to the French Army and patrol vessels, while the hull replaced Dupuy de Lome as a mooring hulk before being sold in 1921.
Chapter · 31:20-33:14
Caribbean patrols carry Descartes into the First World War
Descartes searched for Karlsruhe, patrolled the West Indies, and ended her career by donating guns to other wartime uses before becoming a mooring hulk.