The French Minister of Marine lost no time in executing the French Government's new programme of naval construction. The Government's arsenals were ordered to start building an armoured cruiser, two destroyers, and three submarines, contracts were also entered into with private firms for the construction of eight destroyers and eleven torpedo boats. All ten destroyers were to be of the same type, and were to have a displacement of 303 tons, and a speed of 28 knots. They were to carry one 65-mm. gun, six 45-mm. guns, and two torpedo tubes. They were to be named the Francisque, Sabre, Dard, Baleste, Mousquenton, Arc, Pistolet, Belier, Catapulete, and Bombarde. The estimated cost of each was to be about 1,700,000 francs. The eleven torpedo boats were to have a displacement of 87 tons, and a speed of 24 knots.