 Completed in 1928, "Espero" was sent to Shanghai after the Shanghai Incident on 28 January 1932.After encountering heavy seas, she had to stop at Saigon, French Indochina, then stayed in the Far East even after a truce had been negotiated between China and Japan.After Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940, "Espero" was part of the 2nd Destroyer Squadron, based at Taranto.