The Brazilian gunboat Ypiranga was a warship of the Imperial Brazilian Navy, having acted in the Paraguayan War. She was the third ship to bear this name in the Brazilian Navy, referring to the historic brook in São Paulo, and was the first propeller-driven warship designed and built in Brazil. Characteristics Ypiranga was launched in 1854 and had a crew of up to 171 men. She was powered by a steam engine with 70 hp that propelled her to reach a speed of up to 9 knots. The ship's dimensions were 129 ft. (39,4 m) long, 18 ft. (5,52 m) wide, and a draught of 8,62 ft. (2.63 m) with a displacement of 350 tons. She was equipped with 7 cannons, one of which was a 2nd class 30 caliber, arranged in a wheelbarrow, and six others, of the same caliber and 5th class, positioned in the battery. Its garrison, in times of peace, was set at 104 men. She had her keel laid on October 20, 1852, and was baptized by a Notice of December 20 of the same year, in honor of the historic São Paulo brook where Pedro I launched the cry of Brazil's Independence. She was launched to sea on September 29, 1854, and on October 19 of that year, she had her armament show. Her first commander was Captain lieutenant João Gomes de Aguiar. The gunboat Ypiranga was designed by Napoleão Level, built by the Arsenal de Marinha in Rio de Janeiro, and was the first propeller-driven warship produced in the country. History On May 18, 1863, lieutenant Captain Manuel Antônio Vital de Oliveira took command of the ship. On January 27, 1864, he helped the French gunboat Lutim rescue a French galley that had been shipwrecked on the Rio de Janeiro coast. On February 18, 1864, he left for hydrographic services in southern Brazil. The Ypiranga participated in the Paraguayan War from the beginning, its first action being the blockade of April 5, 1865. On April 5, 1865, she left for the naval blockade of Paraguay, being part of Chief José Segundino de Gomensoro's Division. On April 30, 1865, the gunboat left for Buenos Aires under the command of Senior lieutenant Álvaro Augusto de Carvalho intending to sail up the Paraná River to effectively blockade the enemy naval forces. Ypiranga was part of Admiral Barroso's squadron, together with the frigate Amazonas (captainship), the corvettes