The submarines electrical propulsion allowed it to attain speeds of 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) while submerged.

[1] The Saphir-class submarines were constructed to be able to launch torpedoes and lay mines without surfacing.

The moored contact mines they used contained 220 kg (490 lb) of TNT and operated at up to 200 meters (660 ft) of depth.

They were attached to the submarine's exterior under a hydrodynamic protection and were jettisoned with compressed air.

The Saphir-class submarines also featured an automatic depth regulator that automatically flooded ballast tanks after mines were dropped to prevent the risk of the submarine surfacing in the middle of enemy waters.