NRP Afonso de Albuquerque (1884)

For other ships of the same name, see NRP Afonso de Albuquerque.

Career (Kingdom of Portugal)
Name:	Afonso de Albuquerque
Operator:	Portuguese Navy
Builder:	Thames Iron Works
Launched:	1884
General characteristics
Type:	sloop or unprotected cruiser
Displacement:	1092 t
Length:	203 ft 6 in (62.03 m)
Propulsion:	1360 ihp
Speed:	13.3 kn (15.3 mph; 24.6 km/h)
Armament:	2 × 6in./26 cal. gun 5 × 5in./25 cal. guns 2 × 3-pounder guns

NRP Afonso de Albuquerque launched in 1885 was a sloop or small unprotected cruiser of the Portuguese Navy. Her name has also been spelled Afonso D’ Albuquerque. She was named after the 16th century Portuguese navigator Afonso de Albuquerque.

She was a small colonial warship, larger than most gunboats but weaker than a protected cruiser. The term sloop in the steamship era was used by some navies including the Royal Navy for what were essentially large gunboats. The Afonso de Albuquerque resembled in size and performance the Spanish unprotected cruisers of the Velasco class, which were used for colonial duties (and the unsuccessful defense of Manila Bay in 1898).

Bibliography

• Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860—1905. New York: Mayflower Books. ISBN 0-8317-0302-4.