SS Tuxpam (Mexican oil tanker)

The SS Tuxpam was an oil tanker, in the service of Petroleos Mexicanos, that was sunk on 27 June 1942 by U-129.

She was completed in November 1903 as SS Prometheus for Deutsch-Amerikanische Petroleum GmbH, Hamburg. In 1914 she was laid up at New York and, in December of that year, sold and renamed SS Cushing for Standard Oil of New Jersey, Bayonne. In September 1918, she was requisitioned by the US Navy as USS Chinampa (SP-1952) for the Naval Overseas Transportation Service and returned to her owners in May 1919.

In 1924 she was sold to Italian owners and renamed Americano for Cia Nav. Cisterna SA, Genoa, before her eventual sale, in 1937, to Ditta G.M. Barbagelata, also of Genoa. After being laid up in Tampico, from June 1940 onwards, she was seized by the Mexican government and renamed SS Tuxpam on 8 Apr, 1941.

While sailing unescorted, on 27 June 1942, about 40 miles northeast of Gutiérrez Zamora, Veracruz, she was attacked with two torpedoes by U-129. However, one torpedo malfunctioned and the U-boat had to dive to evade it. The tanker settled by the stern, after being hit by the other torpedo, but did not sink, so the U-boat surfaced and opened fire with deck guns. Tuxpam caught fire and sank after 52 rounds had been fired.