She has a crew of four, and has sleeping and dining accommodation for operations that take longer than a single shift.

[1] In February 2012 the upper reaches of the Elbe were beset by the worst ice jams since 1987.

[3][4] The jams were 20 kilometers long, and upstream communities faced flooding as water built up behind the ice dams.

The Keiler and sister ships Büffel, Widder, and Wisent were dispatched from their normal stations to attack the ice jam.

This crisis represents the first time the water authorities icebreakers were used at night.