During World War I, the situation with submarines worsened as the Germans became more effective at intercepting sea vessels. In 1916, the French placed an order for 43 specialized aviso to be disguised as cargo ships to counter them. This new type of ship was named the Arras. The lead ship of the series was the Amiens, and the ship of the same name, the Arras, was laid down in early 1917, launched in July, and commissioned in 1918.

With the end of World War I, the order for ship construction was reduced by thirteen units. In the 1920s, all of these ships underwent minor modernization. However, by the 1930s, most of the avisos had been decommissioned. Thus, by the beginning of World War II, only eleven ships of this type remained in service with the French Navy, including the Arras. On July 3, 1940, the British captured it as part of Operation Catapult and soon transferred it to the Free French Navy. It served as a floating barracks and a source of spare parts for the Amiens until February 1946, when it was scrapped.

The Arras was introduced in Update 2.39 "Dance of Dragons". It is a slow ship with poor maneuverability but powerful armaments, including two 138mm guns. However, it has its drawbacks: ship's firing angles are limited by the stern and bow.