 The ships served in a variety of roles throughout their careers , including scouts for the main fleet , colonial cruisers , and representatives of Italy at major foreign events . Elba observed the Russo @-@ Japanese War , including the Battle of Chemulpo Bay in 1904 , where she picked up Russian survivors . Lombardia was converted into a depot ship for submarines in 1906 . Elba and Liguria were equipped with observation balloons in 1907 – 1908 . In 1910 , Umbria was sold to Haiti and renamed Consul Gostrück , though she quickly sank under the care of her inexperienced crew . The remaining ships , except for Lombardia , took part in the Italo @-@ Turkish War in 1911 – 12 , where they provided gunfire support to Italian troops , bombarded Ottoman ports , and instituted a blockade in the Red Sea . 
