Built in 1873 as an iron, sheated with teak, gunboat or corvette under yard No 408 for the Argentinean navy by Cammell Laird of Birkenhead, U.K.
12 November 1973 launched under the name PARANA. She was a sistership of the URUGUAY.
Tonnage 550 tons, dim. 46.36 x 7.63 x 5.4m., mean draught 3.5m.
Compound steam engine 475 hp., speed 10 knots. 1 screw. Bunker capacity 90 tons
Armament, 4 – 7 inch Vavasseur guns.
Rigged as a barque.
Crew: 14 officers and 100 ratings
1874 completed.
She sailed in 1874 from the Mersey and via Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro bound for Buenos Aires under an English crew, which were paid off at arrival at Buenos Aires in July 1874.
The same year a revolution broke out in Argentina and Erasmo Obligado, then commanding the PARANA, sided with the rebels and went to cruise off the mouths of the river Parana and Uruguay, which were the main lines of communication between Buenos Aires.
When Obligado heard that the rebel army had been decisively defeated in battle he went to Uruguay to seek refuge. The Government of Uruguay handed back the PARANA to the Argentine authorities in November 1874.
For the next three years or so the PARANA appears to have performed routine duties in the River Plate region.
In 1878 she sailed to Punta Arenas, Chile, apparently, it seems, to assist the Chileans deal with a mutiny that occurred in the region.
1879 Her armament replaced by 2 – 152 mm and 2 – 120mm., all four Armstrong guns.
1882 When at Rio de Janeiro she was visited by the Emperor and his family.
1884 In conformity with a treaty with Chile, she sailed to the region of Cape Horn together with the VILLARINO and four smaller vessels, and under command of Commodore Augusto Laserre in Sept. 1884 landed at Ushuaia.
At that time there was a small settlement at Ushuaia run by the protestant South American Missionary Society, and the ministers of the mission were ordered to lower the British flag, and after this was done the Argentine flag was hoisted to a 21-gun salute; this was on 12 October 1884.
After the Argentine settlement was founded the PARANA paid a courtesy visit to Punta Arenas and then sailed to Buenos Aires.
During 1886 the PARANA provided a convoy for Argentine shipping in the River Plate area owing to the revolution-taking place in Uruguay.
In 1889 she performed hydrographic work in the River Plate.
1891 For the most part of that year laid up in a disarmed state, in the River Santiago.
During 1892 she served for a while as a base ship for the squadron of torpedo boats at Zarate.
During 1894 laid up the whole year in the River Lujan where she was fitted with a new boilers and was modernized. (The Naval workshop in that area, at Tigre, now houses the National Naval Museum, where there is a fine model of the PARANA.)
In 1895 she transported troops in manoeuvres along the coast.
During 1896 sailed south and used for hydrographical service, and later in this year, and into 1897, was stationed in the River Uruguay to ensure Argentine neutrality during the revolution in Uruguay.
In 1899 from May onwards, she was laid up in the River Santiago.
1900 Converted in a transport and renamed PIEDRABUENA. (named after noted Argentine seaman, and as said by error the christian name and surname were linked up as one.) The name PARANA was to be designated to a new gunboat to be built in England.
In 1901 the PIEDRABUENA was towed to Ushuaia, where she served as a station ship for a military unit.
Returned 1902 to Buenos Aires for repairs. In 1903 she went back to Ushuaia to serve both as a station ship and a duty ship for the region.
In 1904 she rescued eleven shipwrecked mariners from the American vessel IWANILDA; and also several from another American ship called GHIBSER.
In 1905 she rescued 30 men from the INDORE. In Lubbock’s book Last of the Windjammers, that the British full-rigged INDORE, of 2.088 tons, was wrecked on Staten Island in 1907.
In 1907 the PIEDRABUENA ran on the rocks off London Islands in the Brecknock Channel. The crew were taken off by the naval tug/transport AZOPARDO. The PIEDRABUENA was refloated and after temporary repairs was towed to Punta Arenas for better repairs after she was towed to Puerto Belgrano where she arrived on the 2nd October 1907.
On 30 November 1908 she was wrecked again in a storm off Punta Loyola, when bound with personnel to relieve an observation station on the island of Ano Nuevo. Crew taken off by the naval tug TEHUELCHE. She was refloated on 21 December.
1909 Repaired and put in service of the governing body of Tierra del Fuego.
1910 Again on station in Ushuaia.
1911 saved 12 persons from the German barque THEKLA.
1912 Relieved at Ushuaia by the PRIMEIRO DE MAYO, and she returned to Buenos Aires.
1914 Used for patrolling the straits and channels of the region.1915 returned to Buenos Aires, and after a refit back to Ushuaia.
1916 Used as a transport and did some hydrographic work in the region of Tierra del Fuego.
1917 re-classified as a hydrographic ship.
1918 Laid up and disarmed at River Santiago.
1919 Rearmed and sent south again.
26 April 1921 was she wrecked in Ushuaia Bay, and as she was not worth saving, she was abandoned.
Argentine 1984 20p sg1891, scott?
Source: copied from Log Book April 1985 page 185 E.J.Hogan.