Fauconneau was one of four Durandal-class destroyers built for the French Navy in the late 1890s.

The two triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one propeller shaft, were designed to produce a total of 5,200 metric horsepower (3,825 kW), using steam provided by two Normand boilers.

[1] The ships 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).

Two reload torpedoes were also carried; their air flasks, however, had to be charged before they could be used, a process that took several hours.

[3] When the First World War began in August 1914, Fauconneau was one of the leaders (divisionnaire) in the 1st Submarine Flotilla (1ère escadrille sous-marins) of the 2nd Light Squadron (2e escadre légère)[4] based at Cherbourg.