In the summer of 1930 Borea together with the ships of her squadron participated in the training cruise in the Aegean Sea visiting Nafplion, Thessaloniki, Rhodes and other Dodecanese islands.

[5] In 1931 Borea together with Turbine, Ostro and Aquilone as well as older Daniele Manin, Giovanni Nicotera and Pantera formed 1st Destroyer Flotilla, part of II Naval Division.

[7] In 1934 after another reorganization Borea as well as Espero, Zeffiro and Ostro were again reunited, now forming the 4th Destroyer Squadron, part of II Naval Division.

[5] At the time of Italy entrance into World War II on 10 June 1940, Borea together with Espero, Ostro and Zeffiro was part of 2nd Destroyer Squadron based in Taranto.

[10] On 5 July 1940 there were seven Turbine-class destroyers berthed in Tobruk harbor together with four torpedo boats, six freighters and several auxiliary vessels.

In the late afternoon a group of nine Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers of 813 Naval Air Squadron took off from the airfield in Sidi Barrani and headed towards Tobruk.

Zeffiro was attacked first by a plane piloted by Nicholas Kennedy, whose torpedo hit the ship in the bow, around the ammunition magazine, between the bridge and a 120 mm cannon.

At 19:30 steamers Maria Eugenia and Gloria Stella escorted by Fratelli Cairoli arrived from Tripoli bringing the total number of vessels present in the harbor to 32.

[13] Borea was also targeted during the second sweep, with the first bomb exploding between the destroyer and the steamer Città di Livorno but causing no damage to either ship.

The bomb penetrated all the way down into the hold and exploded breaking the ship in two causing rapid flooding and sinking in shallow waters of the harbor.

[13] Due to rapid sinking most of the crew was able to easily abandon ship either by jumping or simply walking off the bridge and swimming towards the destroyer Aquilone.