Laid down in October 1923, it was launched in May 1926 and commissioned in December 1927.

It was disarmed at Bizerte, Tunisia in April 1941 and captured there by Italian forces on 8 December 1942 and renamed FR 114.

It was scuttled by the Italians at the Castellamare shipyard on 13 September 1943, then raised by the Germans in 1943 but not repaired.

The submarines' electrical propulsion allowed it to attain speeds of 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) while submerged and 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) on the surface.

Their surfaced range was 7,700 nautical miles (14,300 km) at 9 knots (17 km/h), and 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h), with a submerged range of 70 nautical miles (130 km) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h).