Minerve was built at the Arsenal de Cherbourg, laid down on 17 August 1931, launched on 23 October 1934, and commissioned on 15 September 1936 into the 2e Escadrille des Sous-Marins ("2nd Submarine Squadron") for service in the Atlantic. In August 1939 she was based at Oran, and was detached in November 1939 to carry out surveillance around the Canary Islands. Between February and May 1940 Minerve acted as an escort to seven convoys between Gibraltar and Liverpool. From October 1942 Minerve was under the command of Capitaine de Corvette Henri Simon-Dubuisson.