 The ships of the Regioni class served in a variety of roles throughout their careers . Their first decade in service was marked by frequent deployments abroad , interspersed between stints in the main Italian fleet , where they served as scouts for the battleships . In 1895 , Etruria and much of the main fleet visited Germany for the opening ceremonies for the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal . Lombardia was stationed in South America in 1896 , when an outbreak of yellow fever killed half of her crew while she was in Rio de Janeiro . In 1897 , Umbria and Liguria were assigned to the Cruiser Squadron of the main fleet . Lombardia was deployed to China in 1901 , where she replaced Elba , and to Italian Somaliland in 1903 . There , she briefly skirmished with Somali rebels . 
