The Circé class were built as part of the French Navy's 1904 building program to a double-hull design by Maxime Laubeuf.

[2] For surface running, the boats were powered by two German MAN 315-metric-horsepower (311 bhp; 232 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft.

When submerged each propeller was driven by a 180-metric-horsepower (178 bhp; 132 kW) electric motor.

[3] The Circé class had a surface endurance of 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph)[1] and a submerged endurance of 76 nmi (141 km; 87 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph).

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