Grecale was one of four Maestrale-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) in the early 1930s.

The Maestrale-class destroyers were a completely new design intended to rectify the stability problems of the preceding Folgore class.

Although the ships were not provided with a sonar system for anti-submarine work, they were fitted with a pair of depth charge throwers.

[3] During World War II, Grecale's 40 mm guns and 13.2 mm machine guns were replaced with eight 20-millimeter (0.79 in) cannon, the addition of another pair of depth charge throwers, and the replacement of aft torpedo tubes and midships rangefinder with two single 37-millimeter (1.5 in) cannon.

Grecale was converted into command ship in 1959–1960 and all of her armaments, saved for two Bofors 40 mm guns, were removed.