She participated in World War II on the side of the Allies until June 1940, and then in the naval forces of Vichy France until she was scuttled in 1942.

Propelled on the surface by two diesel engines producing a combined 6,000 horsepower (4,474 kW), they had a maximum speed of 18.6 knots (34.4 km/h; 21.4 mph).

When submerged, their two electric motors produced a combined 2,250 horsepower (1,678 kW) and allowed them to reach 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).

Also called "deep-cruising submarines", their range on the surface was 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).

[3] At the end of her sea trials but before she was commissioned, Vengeur made a lengthy voyage accompanied by her sister ship Redoutable.

[2] Departing Cherbourg on 3 March 1930, the submarines made stops in French Morocco, Senegal, the West Indies, and the United States before returning to France in June 1930.

[2] When World War II began in September 1939, Vengeur was assigned to the 7th Submarine Division based at Cherbourg, attached to the maritime prefecture there.

[6][7] On 11 October 1940, Vengeur and L'Espoir departed Toulon bound for Oran in Algeria in company with the tanker Lot, which was to accompany the four submarines on their journey to French Indochina.

[6] Subsequently, the submarines took turns conducting defensive patrols 10 to 35 nautical miles (19 to 65 km; 12 to 40 mi) off Dakar.

[6] From 5 to 7 November 1940, Vengeur and her sister ship Le Héros operated south of Cabo de Gata, Spain, to reconnoiter Gibraltar.

[2][8] On 17 December 1940, Lot and the four submarines got underway from Dakar to continue the voyage to French Indochina, with their next stop at Madagascar.

[2][6][9] A second cyclone struck Tamatave on the day of their arrival, and Monge and Pégase in particular faced its more severe effects, but Vengeur also suffered damage.

[2] She got back underway on 7 April and made a demonstration dive off Saint-Denis, then circled the island on the surface at low speed to show the French colors.

[2] After passing Cape Guardafui on the coast of British-occupied Italian Somaliland on 26–27 July 1941 and entering the Gulf of Aden, she operated submerged by day.

[2] She reached Diego-Suarez on 8 August 1941, completing a 4,400-nautical-mile (8,149 km; 5,063 mi) round-trip voyage, and began repairs which lasted three months.

[2] The submarines made an overnight stop at Tulear on 21–22 March 1942, where they met the French auxiliary cruiser Quercy.

Vengeur was at Toulon's Northeast Missiessy Basin[2] when Germany and Italy occupied the Free Zone (French: Zone libre) of Vichy France on 27 November 1942, and she was among the French vessels scuttled at Toulon to prevent their seizure by Germany when German forces entered the naval base that day.