HMS Roebuck was a fifth-rate sailing warship of the Royal Navy, armed with 44 guns, including a main battery of twenty 18-pounder long guns. Launched on 21 December 1743, she was constructed as part of the 1741 Establishment, which designated her as a two-deck ship with a keel length of 102 feet 6 inches (31.2 meters), a gundeck length of 126 feet, a beam of approximately 36 feet, and a hold depth of about 15 feet 5.5 inches. Her tonnage was approximately 708 tons burthen. The ship's initial cost to the Admiralty was £7,266.5.0d, with additional finishing costs bringing her total expenditure to over £11,500. Her early service saw her operating in the English Channel during the War of the Austrian Succession. She participated in convoy escort duties, notably in 1744 when she was tasked with escorting a convoy to Lisbon but became separated during pursuit of an enemy vessel. She arrived at Lisbon to find her convoy had already arrived and was later blockaded by the French fleet until her rescue on 9 September 1744. Subsequently, she joined Admiral William Rowley's fleet in the Mediterranean, engaging in operations against Genoa and Cádiz, including blockades and engagements with Spanish and French forces. During the Seven Years' War, starting in 1756, Roebuck was stationed in the West Indies, where she played a significant role in the attack on Martinique in January 1759 and the capture of Guadeloupe in April 1759. She participated in bombardments, troop landings, and fleet actions, often under the command of notable officers such as Captain Thomas Whetstone and later Captain George Townsend. Her service included combat against fortified positions, capturing enemy towns, and supporting amphibious assaults. Roebuck was paid off in August 1759 after her extensive Caribbean campaigns. She was briefly hired out as a private warship from 1762 until 1764, after which she was surveyed and sold at Portsmouth for £560. Her active service life highlights her importance as a versatile fifth-rate vessel engaged in convoy protection, fleet actions, and amphibious operations during mid-18th-century conflicts.

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