In 1912, the Tecklenborg shipyard in Bremerhaven built the first German single-screw motor ship with an oil engine for the Deutsche Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft Hansa in Bremen. The Rolandseck was powered by a six-cylinder two-stroke diesel engine. Rudolf Diesel was personally present during the trial run on November 16, 1912. Gerhard Wessels, the author of this title, was the chief engineer of the Rolandseck and thus one of the pioneers in introducing the oil engine to German merchant shipping. In this book from 1913, he documented the experiences of the first year of the ship's operation. It also addresses operational disruptions, their causes, and remedies—topics that remain relevant today.