 While serving as a civilian-crewed cargo ship during World War II, "El Occidente" was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine "U-435" on 13 April 1942.SS "El Occidente" was a cargo and passenger steamship launched on 24 September 1910 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. of Newport News, Virginia (yard no.133), and delivered to the Atlantic division of the Morgan Line on 2 December 1910.