page_title: HMS Roebuck (1743)
section_title: The Leeward Station
hierarchical_section_title: HMS Roebuck (1743) / Service / The Leeward Station
caption_attribution_description: English: A map of the 1759 Invasion of Guadeloupe. Moore was on board HMS Woolwich
context_page_description: HMS Roebuck was a 44-gun, fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She took part in the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War, serving in The Channel, the Mediterranean and the West Indies. Roebuck fought in the attack on Martinique in January 1759 and the capture of Guadeloupe in April.
context_section_description: In December 1756, Roebuck was on the Jamaica Station, under the command of Captain John Hollwall, who later took her to the Leeward Islands. Hollwell was superseded by Captain Thomas Lynn, who returned the ship to Jamaica in December 1757.
  Roebuck was present for the attack on Martinique in January 1759. To facilitate attacks on French possessions in the Caribbean, the Leeward Squadron was joined by eight ships-of-the-line and transports containing 4,400 troops under the command of Peregrine Hopson. The reinforcements arrived in Barbados from England in January 1759. Sir John Moore retained command of naval operations and the force set sail on 13 January, arriving two days later in Fort-Royal Bay. At 08:00 on 16 January 1759, Roebuck with Winchester and Woolwich, opened fire on the batteries in Cas des Navieres Bay, where it was intended to land the troops. At the same time, Bristol and Rippon attacked Fort Negro, three miles away. The battery at Cas des Navieres was silenced when the magazine exploded, but Roebuck and the others continued to fire at the shore so the enemy was unable to form up and oppose a landing. The squadron kept up its salvo for much of the following day and provided covering fire when the troops landed at 16:00. Without access to drinking water, and out-numbered by 10,000 French troops and militia, the British were later forced to withdraw and, after a short bombardment of Saint-Pierre, it was decided to abandon the invasion altogether and instead attack Guadeloupe.
  The British force arrived off Basse-Terre at midday on 22 January and began their attack the following morning. Moore took eight of his largest ships, of between 60 and 90 guns, in to cannonade the enemy batteries and citadel. When the 60-gun Rippon grounded, Roebuck and Bristol were required to sail in and rescue her. By 17:00 the French guns had been put out of action. At 22:00, four bomb ketches began to shell the town.  The bombardment continued throughout the night, causing a fire which swept through town destroying buildings and gutting the citadel. On 24 January, troops were landed which quickly occupied Basse-Terre but were unable to capture the governor, who escaped into the mountains. Instead of pursuing however, Hopson decided to consolidate his position and by 30 January, 1,500 of his men had succumbed to disease. On 13 February, Moore sent Roebuck with Berwick, Woolwich, Renown and two bomb ketches to attack Fort Louis on the Grande Terre side of the island. 
  On 11 March, Moore received news of a French squadron comprising eight ships-of-the-line and three large frigates. While Roebuck was left to guard the transports, Moore gathered his ships and set sail for Prince Rupert's Bay, Dominica where he was able to resupply and was best placed to monitor the enemy's movements.
  After three months of sporadic fighting, on 22 April, the Governor of Guadeloupe eventually offered to surrender. It was accepted by John Barrington, Hopson having died from a tropical illness at the end of February, and terms were agreed on 25 April.
caption: Plan of the attack on Basse-Terre on 23 January 1759, shows Roebuck attacking batteries to the west of the town
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