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.

[4] 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.

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 Beberibe, Belmonte, and Parnahyba, and the gunboats Araguary, Mearim, Iguatemy, and Jequitinhonha.

In this combat, the ship, which closed the column due to its short march, was heavily attacked by enemy forces, leaving one dead and seven wounded.

In September 1881, she sailed from Pernambuco to Rocas Atoll, taking aboard the military engineer Colonel Alvim to study the placement of a lighthouse at that point.