Ascari was one of nineteen Soldati-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

When Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940, Ascari was part of the 12th Destroyer Division, together with sister ships Lanciere, Corazziere and Carabiniere.

Most of these convoys were successful, but on 24 May 1941 the troopship Conte Rosso was torpedoed and sunk by HMS Upholder with the loss of nearly 1,300 men.

[14][15][16][17][18] On 23 September 1941 Ascari and sister ships laid a minefield off Malta, and on the following day they participated in a sortie by the 3rd and 8th Cruiser Divisions aimed at intercepting a British convoy, without success.

[19] On 13 December she joined a large convoy operation between Italy and Libya, "M. 41", which failed due to heavy attacks by aircraft and submarines.

In the subsequent battle Ascari, together with Alfredo Oriani, engaged the escorting British destroyers, scoring hits on HMS Bedouin, and later finished off the tanker Kentucky and the steamer Burdwan, previously disabled by Axis air strikes.

[26][6] At 7:18 on 24 March, Lanzerotto Malocello struck a mine laid by HMS Abdiel about 28 miles north of Cape Bon and was left dead in the water.

[6][26][27] While rescuing Lanzerotto Malocello's survivors, however, Ascari hit in turn three mines, losing her bow and stern and finally sinking at 13:12, about 25 miles north of Zembretta.

[6] Some MAS boats sent from Bizerta and Pantelleria reached the scene after about four hours, and could only rescue 59 of the 533 troops and crew aboard Ascari.