At 02.34 hours on 12 March 1942 the unarmed and unescorted Texan (Master Robert Hugh Murphy) was hit on the port side at the bulkhead between the #6 and #7 holds by one torpedo from U-126 while steaming on a nonevasive course at 11.8 knots about 40 miles east of Nuevitas, Cuba. About five minutes later, the U-boat began shelling the ship in an attempt to destroy the radio shack. The vessel was hit by four rounds but had successfully send emergency messages. Within ten minutes after the hit, most of the ten officers and 37 crewmen aboard had abandoned ship in two lifeboats but when the ship sank 13 minutes after being hit the suction capsized both and at least one officer and four crewmen drowned. Ten men righted one lifeboat at daybreak and they later picked up the remaining survivors. About 22.00 hours, a plane of the US Navy passed the survivors several times without spotting them. At 05.30 hours on 13 March, the lifeboat was spotted by the Cuban fishing boat Yoyo approximately 15 miles west-southwest of the sinking position and was towed to Nuevitas, arriving there at 16.50 hours.

The master Robert Hugh Murphy later commanded the Coloradan, which was sunk by U-159 (Witte) on 9 Oct 1942.