When World War II broke out she was a part of the 4th Cruiser Division and started laying mines on 9 June 1940 near the island of Lampedusa.

A month later she was present in the Battle of Calabria where she avoided a submarine torpedo attack, engaged enemy aircraft and assisted her sister ship Armando Diaz, which had boiler problems.

The cruiser re-entered service when supplying of the Axis army in North Africa became more important.

Luigi Cadorna provided distant cover for convoys headed towards North Africa.

Between 24–30 June she transported troops to Albania, and on 3 July she was transferred to Taranto, from whence, in August, she made five minelaying sorties to lay defensive fields in the Gulf of Taranto along with the light cruiser Scipione Africano.