 In June 1941 , the United States Maritime Commission ( USMC ) announced that it had requisitioned the entire Morgan Line fleet of ten ships , including El Occidente and her remaining sister ships , El Oriente and El Mundo . The ships were to finish previously scheduled cargo runs and be handed over to the USMC over the following six weeks . The USMC had been charged with assembling a 2 @,@ 000 @,@ 000 GRT U.S. fleet to " aid the democracies " fighting Germany in World War II , and paid $ 4 @.@ 7 million for all ten ships and a further $ 2 @.@ 6 million for repairs and refits . 
