In January 1913, the Antwerp shipping company S.A. d'Arnement, d'Industrie et de Commerce put the first motor vessel into service under the Belgian flag: the tanker Emanuel Nobel. The ship was a bulk carrier of oil products between Europe and North America. It remained in service during the WW1. A gun was even mounted on board. In 1918, its engines were replaced for steam-powered versions. The Emanuel Nobel continued sailing until 1947.
