HMS Looe was a 32-gun fifth-rate warship constructed at Portsmouth Dockyard between 1696 and 1697, launched on 15 October 1697. Designed as a relatively small vessel, she measured a gundeck length of approximately 108 feet 1 inch (32.94 meters), with a keel length of 89 feet 8 inches (27.33 meters) used for tonnage calculations. Her breadth was 28 feet 7 inches (8.71 meters), and her depth of hold was 11 feet 1 inch (3.38 meters). The ship’s builder’s measure tonnage was calculated at about 38.96 tons (burthen). Her initial armament comprised four demi-culverins on the lower deck, with two guns per side, and an upper deck battery of 20 to 22 six-pounder guns, with roughly ten or eleven guns on each side. Additionally, she carried four 4-pounder guns on the quarterdeck, with two to three guns per side, making her a versatile vessel suitable for fleet actions and coastal patrols. Commissioned in 1697 under Captain Robert Arris, HMS Looe was primarily employed off the Irish coast. In late 1702, under Captain Timothy Bridges, she joined Captain John Leake’s squadron for deployment to Newfoundland. She set sail from Plymouth on 23 July and arrived at the Bay of Bulls (St. John’s) on 27 August. During this expedition, she successfully captured several small prizes and contributed to the destruction of St. Peter’s Fort after taking twenty-nine ships and burning two others, with no French vessels encountered. Her service was short-lived, as she was wrecked on 12 December 1705 in Scratchwell Bay, Isle of Wight, while returning with a convoy. The wreck resulted in the drowning of eight crew members. HMS Looe’s career reflects the typical duties of a late 17th-century fifth-rate ship, including coastal patrols, convoy escort, and participation in colonial expeditions, marking her as a noteworthy example of Royal Navy vessels of her period.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.