Arquebuse was the name ship of her class of 20 contre-torpilleur d'escadre built for the French Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.

They carried enough coal to give them a range of 2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).

They were fitted with two single rotating mounts for 381-millimeter (15 in) torpedo tubes on the centerline, one between the funnels and the other on the stern.

[4] When the First World War began in August 1914, Arquebus was assigned to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla (3e escadrille de torpilleurs) of the 2nd Light Squadron (2e escadre légère)[5] based at Cherbourg.

[4] She was one of five destroyers that escorted the predreadnought battleship Charlemagne from Bizerte, French Tunisia, to Toulon in September 1917.