It was laid down in the Arsenal de Toulon shipyards and launched on 31 March 1918.

The Lagrange class submarines were constructed as part of the French fleet's expansion programmes from 1913 to 1914.

[1][2] The ships were designed by Julien Hutter, slightly modifying his previous project Dupuy de Lôme, using two Parsons steam turbines with a power of 2,000 hp (1,491 kW).

[3] During construction, though, the idea was abandoned and the ships were instead equipped with diesel engines.

It was named in honor of the distinguished French nineteenth-century naval engineer Gaston Romazotti.