Commissioned into service in the Italian Regia Marina ("Royal Navy") in 1917, she served in World War I, participating in the Adriatic campaign.

Reclassified as a torpedo boat in 1929, she took part in the Mediterranean campaign of World War II until the Italian armistice with the Allies in 1943, when her crew scuttled her to prevent her use by the Germans.

[2] While Giovanni Acerbi remained behind to assist Francesco Stocco, the Austro-Hungarians withdrew toward Pola and the Italians resumed operations in support of their own torpedo boats.

The force proceeded to Portolago on the island of Leros in the Aegean Sea, from which it operated to protect the Italian Dodecanese from possible acts of hostility on the part of the Kingdom of Greece.

[6] On 9 February 1941, the British Royal Navy's Force H carried out Operation Grog, a naval and aerial bombardment of Genoa and La Spezia.

At 11:47 Fleet Air Arm aircraft from the British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal shot down an Italian Regia Aeronautica (Royal Air Force) 287th Squadron CANT Z.506 Airone reconnaissance floatplane which had sighted Force H before the plane could transmit a message reporting the sighting.

Giuseppe La Masa rescued the plane's crew in the Tyrrhenian Sea at around 17:00 and at 17:15 transmitted the plane's sighting — of an aircraft carrier, two battleships, and other ships 45 nautical miles (83 km; 52 mi) bearing 300 degrees from Cap Corse, Corsica, at 43°22′N 008°35′E / 43.367°N 8.583°E / 43.367; 8.583, heading northwest on a course of 300 to 310 degrees.