Potrero del Llano

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The Potrero del Llano was the first Mexican oil transporter, torpedoed and made it unusable (not sunk at all) by German submarines (U-Boot), and pushed to Mexico to leave its neutrality and to enter World War II.

It had been an Italian tanker, named the Lucífero, seized by the Mexican government in april-1941 renamed it as the Potrero del Llano in honor to one of the most productive properties of the state of Veracruz

On May 13, 1942 it was attacked by the U-564 commanded by the Kapitänleutnant according to the submarine log in the position 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 4th tanker sunk by the U-Boats.

On May 20, 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 May 22, 1942. Mexico responded with the creation of the Escuadrón 201.