Potrero del Llano

The "Potrero del Llano" was the first Mexican oil tanker attacked by Nazi Germany in the Second World War. She was torpedoed and made unusable by the German submarine "U-564", and played a role in Mexico's decision to enter the war on the side of the Allies.

Originally built as the Italian tanker "Lucífero", the ship was seized by the Mexican government in April 1941 and renamed as the "Potrero del Llano" in honor of a region in Veracruz.

According to the German submarine "U-564"’s logs, the Potrero del Llano was attacked on 13 May 1942 at 80°06' W y 25°35' N. The attack killed 14 of 35 crew members. One of the survivors, José Reyes Sosa, survived another attack on the "Las Choapas", the fourth Mexican tanker sunk by German submarines.

On 20 May 1942 a second tanker ("Faja de Oro") was attacked by the Germans, the Mexican government was prompted to declare war on the Axis powers on 22 May 1942. Mexico responded with the creation of the Escuadrón 201.