French cruiser Linois (1894)

Linois was the lead ship of her class of protected cruisers built for the French Navy in the 1890s. The class was ordered as part of a construction program directed at strengthening the fleet's cruiser force. At the time, France was concerned with the growing naval threat of the Italian and German fleets, and the new cruisers were intended to serve with the main fleet, and overseas in the French colonial empire. Linois was armed with a main battery of four 138.6 mm (5.5 in) guns, was protected by an armored deck 40 mm (1.6 in) thick, and had a top speed of 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph).

Linois was completed in 1895 and joined the Mediterranean Squadron the next year, serving as part of the cruiser force of the main French battle fleet. She took part in training exercises during this period, which sometimes included joint maneuvers with the Northern Squadron. The ship was involved in a show of force meant to intimidate the Ottoman Empire in 1902 during a period of tension with France. Linois remained in service with the squadron until 1905, and was struck from the naval register in 1910 and broken up for scrap.