The winter of 1928–1929 proved to be especially cold, and Elsass and the battleship Schleswig-Holstein were pressed into service as icebreakers; the two ships helped to free 65 merchant ships from the heavy ice.
由于1928－29年的冬季尤为寒冷，艾尔萨斯号及另一艘战列舰石勒苏益格-荷尔斯泰因号都充当破冰船使用；两舰共帮助65艘商船从重冰中解困。