Faja de Oro
Faja de Oro under her former name Oyleric. Photo from naviearmatori.net
| Name | Faja de Oro | ||
| Type: | Steam tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 6.067 tons | ||
| Completed | 1914 - R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie & Co Ltd, Hebburn | ||
| Owner | Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), Tampico | ||
| Homeport | Tampico | ||
| Date of attack | 21 May, 1942 | Nationality:  Mexican | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-106 (Hermann Rasch) | ||
| Position | 23.30N, 84.24W - Grid DM 4157 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 37 (10 dead and 27 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Marcus Hook PA - Tampico | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | Built as British Barneson for Bank Line Ltd (Andrew Weir), Glasgow. 1915 renamed Oyleric. 1937 sold to Italy and renamed Genoano for Ditta G.M. Barbagelata, Genoa. On 8 Dec, 1941 the Genoano was seized at Tampico by Mexico and renamed Faja de Oro. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 04.21 hours on 21 May, 1942, the unescorted and neutral Faja de Oro (Master Ramón Sánchez Mena) was hit in the foreship by one of two torpedoes from U-106 off Key West. At 04.33 hours, a first coup de grâce missed, but after 20 minutes a second hit amidships, setting the ship on fire and caused her to sink shortly afterwards. This attack was observed by U-753 (von Mannstein), which had chased the same ship but stayed away after noticing the other U-boat. On 1 Jun, 1942, Mexico declared war on Germany after two Mexican tankers had been sunk by U-boats: Potrero del Llano on 14 May by U-564 (Suhren) and Faja de Oro on 21 May by U-106 (Rasch). | ||
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