Amiens was launched by FCM at the La Seyne-sur-Mer shipyard in May 1919 as one of 30 vessels of her class, all designed to resemble merchant ships and operate as part of convoys, aiming to surprise enemy submarines. She saw combat for the first time during the Rif War, as part of the 5th Patrol Squadron, where she served from 1922 to 1926. Around 1928, she was stationed in Cherbourg, on the northern coast of France. In November 1934, she was placed in reserve and berthed in Toulon. In 1939, she became a testbed for the 37 mm Mle 1935 ACAD, at the time the most advanced light anti-aircraft gun in the world. With the gun fitted, she entered World War II and was assigned to the 3e Escadrille d’avisos, initially operating in the Mediterranean. In December 1939, she was reassigned to the 1re Escadrille d’avisos, returning to Cherbourg.
Following the German invasion of France, she provided assistance to retreating troops, culminating in her participation in the Dunkirk evacuation alongside her sister ship Arras. After volunteer vessels picked up the survivors, Amiens escorted them to the British port of Portsmouth, where she was interned and later transferred to the Free French Naval Forces. There, she served as a training vessel for mechanics, boiler operators, electricians, and quartermasters. After the war, she was sold for scrapping on 13 October 1949. Amiens was considered very roomy and comfortable for her size, with a high bow that made her dry in high seas, though her high centre of mass caused her to roll heavily, making life onboard challenging for her crew.
Amiens, introduced during Update “Hornet’s Sting” as a reward for Battle Pass: Season XIX, trades the aft 138.6 mm gun on Arras for an additional anti-aircraft weapon – a twin-mounted 37 mm gun on an elevated turret, offering excellent arcs of fire and a high rate of fire with its HE rounds, addressing the biggest issue of Arras: her vulnerability to bomber attacks. However, the loss of the aft primary gun and a lack of AP ammunition for the 37 mm makes her much weaker against many types of surface targets, turning Amiens into an interesting sidegrade rather than a straight-out upgrade over Arras.
