While in Messina on 25 January 1942, the ship was visited by the German "Luftwaffe" officer "Generaloberst" Bruno Loerzer, who had arrived to command German air units stationed on the island. Five days later, Umberto, Prince of Piedmont, the heir to the italian crown, and Hermann Göring, the commander of the "Luftwaffe", visited the ship on a tour of major bases in Sicily. "Gorizia" returned to combat operations in February; she sortied on the 14th to search for Allied shipping, but instead came under heavy attack from both torpedo bombers and submarines. She returned to Messina undamaged. On 21 February, she joined another convoy to Tripoli before returning to Messina on the 24th. A month later, on 22 March, she took part in the Second Battle of Sirte, where she was heavily engaged with British light cruisers and destroyers. The engagement occurred at long range, and smoke from the British ships interfered with the Italians' gunnery, and "Gorizia" scored no hits. In the course of the battle, she had fired 226 rounds from her main battery.