New Orleans class cruiser (1896)

The New Orleans-class of protected cruisers of the United States Navy comprised only two ships which were fitting out or building for the Brazilian Navy at Elswick, near Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, by Armstrong Whitworth. The Brazilian Navy had ordered three Elswick cruisers, but already sold the first ship during building to Chile. One ship was delivered to Brazil named Barroso. The third ship was fitting out as Amazonas and another was on order as Almirante Abreu.

On 16 March 1898 the United States Navy purchased the un-delivered ships to prevent them from being acquired by the Spanish Navy shortly before Spanish-American War.

The Amazonas served as USS New Orleans in the Spanish-American War, World War I and the Russian civil war in Siberia.

The other became USS Albany and was too late to see service in Spanish-American War. She served first in the Philippine-American War and then in World War I and the Russian civil war in Siberia.

1920 they were first classified as gunboats and 1921 were reclassified as light cruisers. Both cruisers decommissioned in 1922 and were sold for scrapping in 1930.

See also

• New Orleans class cruiser unrelated New Orleans-class cruisers in commission 1930s-1950s.